Umi Japanese Bar & Restaurant in Middlesbrough

Wow! Wonderful food and 5 star service. Top quality cocktails and Japanese lager on draught! The two members of staff that served us had plenty of knowledge to help us order.

Amazing service, went above and beyond. Will be returning in the near future! Servers recommendation for a cocktail was beautiful, I’d recommend getting Tokyo sunrise too :)

Lovely place, lovely service, went for my husband’s birthday with the grandchildren. Thank you, I love sushi now. Didn’t think I could change my mind

Best restaurant ever. Amazing food and kind hearted staff who gave me a free origami. When you drop chopsticks they instantly give you new ones. (Olivia age 9)

Had a wonderful time here for a birthday celebration . Staff could not do enough for us . Food was cooked well and staff was attentive .

Lovely atmosphere, polite and informed service, fantastic food! Particularly impressed with the willingness to explain and recommend food.

We have eaten Japenese food before but we were really impressed by the standard of cooking and the variety. Every dish was ful of taste and beautifully presented. The standard of cleanliness in the restaurant is amazing with every table thoroughly cleaned down after each diner. However the standout for us was our waiter that night who advised us on our choices. Made no effort yo oversell but endured that every dish was a taste sensation. I would reccomend this restaurant to those familiar with Japanese food and those new to the taste and textures.

Every since time we go here, it’s for a special event, our most recent one was for our 3 year anniversary :> the staff are always so lovely and accommodating to customers comforts and wants and always place us in the seats we like to be seated in. Always a good sign when I see the same regular staff that remember our faces too, it comforts me to know the environment is not only friendly for the customers but the staff too. The food itself is so spot on, not one problem ever. It’s so authentic and rich and every time there’s little to no delay with getting our orders to us. The menu has a lovely variety and is also vegetarian and vegan friendly (limited options but still a variety) and overall it’s an amazing and relaxing place to enjoy authentic Japanese cuisines, and will always be mine and my boyfriends special place for special occasions. I recommend this place with my entire stomach

Nice place, friendly, attentive staff, menu on restaurant week looked good , we were offered the a lacarte as well.we decided to eat off the special menu for £19/2 courses. My friend had the salmon and avocado sushi, she only ate the middle of the sushi roll- rest was sticky & unpleasant, I tried it but am not a sushi convert, no good asking me to pronounce on these. I had the chicken gyoza- ok, properly cooked but I felt the filling could have been anything. The dips provided for the sushi & gyoza were appropriate & tasty. Main courses, my friend had the chicken katsu curry which she said was very good indeed. I had the bbq pork belly noodle soup- for which a £2 supplement applied. There was about a tablespoon of pork - possibly mince?? and some nori seaweed as well as the noodles, all sat in a creamy broth. It was ok. Frankly there’s only so much broth & noodles you can eat. I was asked if I enjoyed the food- I did, however there really wasn’t enough of the pork to pass judgement on. All in all it was adequate- poor value. I must say the staff were very good. We ordered a bottle of wine, a choice of two on the wine list - neither suited so we ended up with an unremarkable Chardonnay. Everyone around us seemed to be on cocktails- there were some interesting ones around. Word to the wise, if you’re going here for an intimate meal, (luckily we weren’t) be advised the tables for two are very close to each other. We had conversations with our near neighbours on both sides! All in all an interesting experience but overpriced in my opinion. Staff & service excellent.

Some of the most delicious food I have had in a long time. The pork belly bao buns and ramen were exquisite. The wait times were quite long but the food was most definitely worth it. The staff were most friendly and charmingly helpful offering beneficial advice.

August is a great server! Delicious food and great service 10/10 😁 Asahi is a great beer choice fitting for this restaurant

Amazing restaurant! Delicious food, fantastic service. Waiter was more than happy to take the time and describe different dishes and flavours, his recommendations were top notch! Visited while in the area on a training course. Wish it was closer to home, I’d be in there all the time!

Portions very small for the money charged?skewers absolute joke !

Food was good (got to keep the hair pin from the pink cocktail). Staff was kind but be mindful that the food takes quite long to prepare, don’t recommend going in super hungry.

Always come back here! Lovely staff and service, so accommodating and polite. Food is always nicely presented and fresh and the place is always spotless!! Great addition to the area. Would recommend !!

All the staff here were incredibly friendly and helpful, especially as we were in a little bit of a rush with having a show to get to and they were happy for me to order straight away on arrival. This meant we had plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely meal in the 75 minutes we had to ourselves. Staff were very knowledgeable and careful with regards to my allergies (nuts and sesame), keeping me informed about my choices and advising us on the best options for us. Big thanks to this great hard-working team. My husband even ordered extra sides (bao buns and gyoza) which unfortunately meant we then couldn't finish the last 2 pieces of our suishi! So wasteful. Eyes bigger than bellies!! So would definitely recommend getting no more than 2 sides each!! to accompany your suishi platter - as the suishu was much larger with more rice etc and so much more filling than we had expected. I loved the steak skewers, but thought them very expensive for the tiny size! so we didn't order more. Everything else was delicious and a substantial size. The pork bao bun wasn't as good as the duck, seemed not enough filling and too much bread, but the duck bao bun was perfect - and they're big bao buns. As I don't eat fish/seafood being able to enjoy suishi is a unique experience for me and I loved all the dishes we were served :-) Umi is a more expensive option than some restaurants, but we think very good value for what you get. We order 2 gyoza, 2 bao buns, 1 skewer and 2 suishi platters with 3 non alcoholic drinks and small tip for £70. For us this was a special treat night out as it's challenging to arrange a babysitter! but we will definitely consider coming back on our next date night :-)

Presentation and staff were to notch, really can't be faulted. Food was good, but not spectacular. Bao buns were a bit bland, teriyaki donburi was OK but tasted a bit strange. Fillet steak rolls were very tasty and well presented. Let down by the volume in the restaurant as with the wood panel walls, floor and ceiling the sound can get deafening when busy. Worth a trip if you are local but would not recommend travelling specifically for it

Went on a Friday night to experience Japanese cuisine for the first time. Service was excellent, talked through the menu by the waiter, he even recommended some good choices for the kids.quick service, drinks and food all served very quickly and very well presented. Food was utterly fantastic, I would highly recommend this place to anyone. I will definitely go back.

Incredible staff and even better food!

My 8 year old daughter has wanted to visit a Japanese restaurant for a long time and this one did not disappoint. Staff very attentive without being over the top. They suggested dishes suitable for the children as there is no set children's menu. We ordered gyozas, bao buns, steal skewers, chicken yakitori, chicken katsu amd steal teriyaki. All amazing but the desserts were another level. Only 3 to choose from so we had them all. Didn't sample the cocktails on this occasion but saw them being made and served. Definitely will try one next time.

Incredible food, incredible service! This is a v belated review from my partner's bday last year, but we were served by Alex and he was amazing - we've both worked in hospitality for years and travel a lot for work, and it's SO great and refreshing to meet someone who cares so much about their job/the industry and has passion for what they do. Great banter with the table, recommendations, check backs on food (which was superb), 10/10, will keep going back!

This is not Japanese food, more like microvawe food. Really expensive for poor quality food with no taste. That's a joke restraunt that won't last 🤣 not coming back. Really don't waste your time and money

The staff were really friendly and couldn't have been more helpful. The food was tasty and came quickly. The staff were helpful about allergies. Nice setting too - attractive decor. Many thanks.

Amazing service and food. We came for a birthday celebration and the Japanese food was as good as we have had in Japan. My children love Japanese so were well catered for with small dishes such as goyza, Bao buns and sushi, and the staff were very helpful and friendly. 10/10

Best restaurant in middlesbrough, for both food and service. Amazing experience every time!

Best staff I have ever had in any restaurant and the food was quick and amazing! Will be returning soon

Enjoyable food with very attentative staff and quick food service times. Food a very reasonable price with lots of flavour. Would maybe like more varied sushi selection. A very pleasent experience.

What a lovely place to eat. Our waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable. So many lovely dishes to choose from. We eventually went for a selection to share between us. Very relaxed atmosphere. Will definitely be coming back.

Excellent service, staff very attentive and happy to give cocktail recommendations. Cocktails were delicious and food amazing. Will be returning to try more if the menu. Thank you

Really great ramen sushi and miso soup! Really good service, will go again!

Out of all the restaurants in Middlesbrough I would have to say the quality overall in ingredients, drinks, and service are 5 stars and if I could reasonably come everyday, I would.

It's an amazing place with great food and amazing cocktails. The staff are very friendly and welcoming.

My first Ramen I've ever tried, It was delicious!! Recommended 10/10 🤙

Presentation of the food and drink was beautiful, staff were easy to approach and keen to help. would absolutely recommend dining here if you want to experience Japanese cuisine. Absolutely the best, most authentic ramen I've tasted outside of Japan.

The food was lovely, dessert was also delicious and everything came to the table very quickly after ordering. Considering just two of us went. I’d say for a starter, main and dessert of such good quality the price was reasonable

Very nice place! Waiter was polite and helpful. The atmosphere is relaxing, the music is playing and the whole place looks neat and peaceful.

Lovely meal again, food is absolutely fantastic, the ramen is delicious, the staff are friendly and can't do enough for you. Definitely will be back soon.

One of the best spots Middlesbrough has to offer. Food is fantastic, the staff are helpful and friendly.

The noodles are sticking together… 😅 … I have been waiting for my meal for totally 30 mins. Can u guys believe it? In the case of they are not busy and few customers…. the four stars is for waiters‘ caring …

The atmosphere is warm welcoming and friendly. The team are very helpful and knowledgeable about the food, while the food itself is exceptional. Can't recommend it enough!

Second time we have visited, and both times we were served with genuine Japanese dishes of a high standard. It's a big contrast to so many UK "Japanese" restaurants which mimic Japanese cuisine and fail. I lived in Japan for 8 years and have a...

Excellent menu, dishes and cocktails! An early evening reservation left us wanting to stay all evening and sample more and more of the menu delights. We will be detouring to make future trips into Middlesbrough for such great food.

I used to come here all the time when I lived in Middlesbrough, now I live in Hartlepool but whenever I'm in town I always love to visit as the food is fantastic and the staff are so friendly and helpful. I always get either...

Great food, friendly helpful staff. The only downside and why it’s not 5 stars is we received an email 2 hours before our reservation advising we had been placed on the waiting list which is unacceptable when you booked 6 days in advance, we took...

Really friendly staff, great service! We went for their Christmas menu which was very reasonably priced and very tasty !

The restaurant was just as you could expect from an authentic Japanese restaurant. The sttg

First time to UMI, wanted to do this for a while and wasn’t disappointed. Went for lunch with my 16yr old son who likes Japanese food and we weren’t disappointed. We choose from the lunchtime special and all courses were amazing and at £19.99 per person I believe great value for the quality. A big shout out to Matthew and the young lady who served and looked after us, great front of house. Needless to say we will be back!

Gorgeous food and amazing and. Very speedy service from everyone working. Drinks were amazing too I couldn’t stop drinking.

Being avid food enthusiasts who've explored gastronomic delights worldwide, my boyfriend and I recently ventured to Umi in Middlesborough for a culinary experience. Our visit last week left an indelible mark - it was an exceptional rendezvous with the finest Asian cuisine we've encountered. Sampling...

Nice place, food is great (chicken is halal for those interested). Great service. My only minor criticism is the restaurant and tables are slightly too small. And maybe some more non alcohol drink options.

The restaurant had a nice atmosphere and the sushi was fantastic. However, the ramen was a bit odd. The noodles were more like spaghetti, the broth was more like cream of chicken soup, and the meat was a bit cold and chewy. Also, the miso...

What a brilliant find this was. We popped in for lunch after a bit of shopping. The staff are so friendly and helpful, and the food is to die for. Thank you 🙏

The original Umi location on Borough Road a few streets away was the first time I had tried this restaurant. It would become a quiet Sunday afternoon place of choice for me before the pandemic struck. It had the low volume quiet relaxing vibe to...

First time dinning at Umi for us. Lovely food but bear in mind starters are absolutely minute ! We didn’t try any of the sushi but it did look very nice also cocktails are outstanding - we recommend the Geisha and Tiramisu Latte . We would definitely go back !

Best restaurant prices were good servings were plentyful and service was amazing

Although having never tried much Japanese cuisine before attending, I was slightly apprehensive of the pallet and nervous about cost but after my first visit, I can honestly say, Umi is a wonderful experience. Very friendly staff, lovely ambience and layout but to top off the cuisine is exquisite. The food is really good value for the quality delivered to the table.

Went for lunch and had the set menu - Tonkotsu ramen was delicious and very filling. Had a lovely waiting staff who were very helpful!!

Got my a rubber duck with my great wave, great service.

So this was my first time having Japanese cuisine and it was awesome. The staff were really helpful and cheerful. The meal was delicious and was a great introduction to Japanese food for me. I didn't remember to take photos of most of the meal 🫣🫣🫣

Visited this lovely hidden gem in Middlesbrough on a work trip up North and I can honestly say it was an absolute delight. I had the bao bun to start and the Tonkotsu Pork Bone broth with the pork belly and both were delicious! One...

Honestly, the best Japanese food we've had in the UK. £20 for a 3 course meal too, you can't go wrong

Don’t think just visit ! Amazing food exceptional service !

A superb and authentic Japanese food experience. We were treated to some amazing food, friendly service with a feeling that our custom was genuinely valued. Restaurant was impeccably clean and well presented. Staff were attentive and not pushy. Food was on par with some of...

Both the food and the staff are absolutely outstanding. Picked a couple of dishes on the recommendation of our waiter and they did not disappoint. Honestly cannot recommend this restaurant enough both for the food and for the experience, the staff couldn't be any better....

Great service - super friendly, we were served by Matthew who was awesome!! Food was delicious, nice veggie options for main. Set lunch is great value.

Absolutely Amazing. The staff is really friendly and quick. I love the small portions of food, so you can try out a few things. The cocktails looked amazing and even the Galaxy lemonade made me feel like I was drinking something special and not just...

When with my family to this restaurant, and it was absolutely amazing from start to finish. From the presentation of the food the the incredible design of the cocktails. It's not just the taste of the food the presentation is second to none. The cocktails...

We visited Umi for a family meal and I honestly cannot fault it. The staff were so attentive as soon as we walked in. Service was well timed and the food was unbelievably tasty and very well presented. A must try are the cocktails, a...

I went with my husband. We wanted to go somewhere different and looked up on line and saw this restaurant. We were served by Alex who helped us and advised what food to order. The food was amazing. We felt that the price and portion...

Absolutely first class food and service from Alex and Matthew. Great quality and fantastic value. I would highly recommend.

Wonderful Japanese restaurant with excellent service.

I came here several times while living in Middlesbrough for a year and every time it has been fantastic! The sushi is amazing and beautifully presented. I strongly recommend the steak tataki as a small dish, and from what my friends have told me the ramen dishes are also delicious.

Fantastic food and fantastic staff, can't really ask for more there.

I have been to Umi a few times it's one of my partners favourite places to eat at. I am a vegetarian so I only order items without meat or seafood, however the sushi is still one of my favourites that I've eaten before. My partner tends to get the pork and seafood ramen which always looks nice and a good size. Eating here can however become a bit more expensive when ordering a few items.

Umi has been amazing since before they moved but they've really stepped it up a notch with the makeover and larger premises. A noticeable focus on customer service throughout the meal and from every member of staff. The food also seems to have gotten even better and without a massive spike in price and they even run smoothly at peak times! Definitely one of my favourite restaurants in the whole of teesside. And they're extra nice if you go for your birthday :)

Uni is one of the more refined restaurants in the area with a great ambiance and professional staff. The food is great and the service is impeccable. Will definitely visit again if in the area.

Absolutely stunning food and atmosphere. Mathew UwU was an amazing server, made sure we were satisfied throughout the meal and vary friendly.

Food was mint, staff were mint, can’t fault. Food 11/10🇯🇵

Loved the food. I had teriyaki chicken and also tried out the sea food ramen noodle from my friend's order. Everything was gorgeous. Absolutely loved the Yakotari. I will be back.

Amazing food and excellent,friendly service. Huge thanks for such a lovely meal out!

Very reasonably priced with the feel of a fine dining place. This place blows Wagamamas out of the water. The cocktails were the great too: on theme, imaginative and tasty.

Absolutely amazing food and serves, atmosphere is very pleasant. love this place thanks Umi

I had a wonderful experience with my father, the food was delicious and the service of amazing. We where served by a waitress called August who was so lovely and I really appreciated her kind attitude and quick service. I couldn't think of a better place to spend my birthday.

A calming and authentic Japanese dining experience with wonderful, friendly staff and delicious food. The sushi tasted refreshing, healthy and homemade in a moreish manner and the accompanying soy sauce was the best I’ve ever tasted. We will definitely be visiting Umi again in the future to try more of the options available and I really look forward to it :)

Umi Japanese Restaurant is a true delight for food enthusiasts. With its authentic flavors, beautifully presented dishes, and impeccable service, Umi offers a remarkable Japanese dining experience. Don't hesitate to indulge in the sensational dishes at Umi—it's a dining experience you won't want to miss!

Although busy with a weffing party service was excellent and very knowledgeable staff to guide us through new dishes and drinks we wanted to try

The best seafood Ramen I’ve had. Chicken Bao, Yakitori & duck bao were amazing starters. 10/10 would Recommend it to anyone craving authentic Japanese food.

If you are looking for authentic Japanese food, don’t worry you are in the right place.

Incredible food, great staff. The best katsu Curry I’ve had :) would very much recommend Umi for authentic Japanese food and some amazing drinks. As someone who loves Japanese cuisine, this is the best Japanese food I’ve had in Middlesbrough.

Umi Japanese Restaurant is a hidden gem that delivers an exceptional dining experience. From the warm welcome to the meticulously crafted dishes, every aspect of Umi is a culinary masterpiece. The fresh ingredients, impeccable presentation, and attentive service create an unforgettable journey into the world of authentic Japanese cuisine. Don't miss the chance to savor the flavors and immerse yourself in the inviting ambiance of Umi. It's an absolute must-visit!

Amazing food and customer service.

Kudos to the team. Amazing food and customer service. Shoutout to Alex and Salman for making my visit absolutely memorable. Thank you

This is not Japanese food. Tastes like microvawe food from Tesco. Panko breadcrumbs are not panko. Cooked carrot and potato in Japanese cuisine? That's joke 🤣 not coming back definitely

Food, Service, Cleanliness and atmosphere - It was all perfect.

Loved this place fabulous food great service lovely atmosphere well worth a visit

The decor was absolutely stunning

This place was lovely, the staff were lovely, the food was lovely, the atmosphere WAS lovely until this bi*ch came in with "HER MAN" and started filming everyone while they were eating, doing some sort of piece to camera for all of her fake followers who must be as fake as her, her eyelashes were 2 inches long at least and she kept whipping her hair around as if to say "look at me, look at me!" her MAN just sat there meek as hell looking embarrassed because others and myself were giving them serious daggers, it's the same as the toxic woman who film themselves in the gym and make out guys are gorking at them, I was disappointed that non of the staff stopped her and I'm also disappointed I didn't ram her fancy camera on a stick up her ar*se! Ruined the dinner for me.

The food is fantastic! The drinks are lovely and everything is well presented. The entire team of staff are phenomenal. They know their food!

Popped in on a whim after work, greeted by the friendliest, most welcoming staff. The food was immense and really reasonable pricing for proper Japanese dishes. Had a duck bao, skewers and sushi and was so so pleased with all three. Not to mention, the cocktails are all delicious. Could not recommend enough.

Been going to Umi for a while now. Always great service and food. The ramen broth is delicious. Well worth a try.