7a Jesus Ln, Cambridge CB5 8BA, United Kingdom
Award-winning KIBOU Japanese Kitchen & Bar in Cambridge is located within the iconic and characterful Grade II listed building at 7a Jesus Lane, home to the Pitt Club. We're a contemporary Japanese restaurant and bar that's been thoughtfully designed to offer a range of elegant dining and drinking areas, all featuring our trademark murals and digital animations, alongside stunning Japanese floral and foliage installations. Our menu features work of art mixed sushi and sashimi sharing platters, alongside a range of classic and contemporary Japanese hot dishes, including rich katsu curry, steaming bowls of ramen, teriyaki, crisp tempura and pillowy bao buns. Escape the ordinary and let us transport you to the exotic world of KIBOU.
The food was delicious and portions were very generous. The prices seemed reasonable compared to other restaurants of a similar style. The staff was helpful and friendly, and the place itself has a lovely atmosphere.
Delicious food even if on the more expensive side. It's a great spot for Japanese fusion dishes. Staff were very attentive and polite, service was quick when I had visited. Must try the adegashi tofu and also the desserts. The Rice Ale on the drinks menu is also a nice beer option. Parking is a bit difficult and easier to reach on foot but with Park Street car park opening soon, this could change. Would recommend booking on weekends and towards the end of the week.
Convenient location, the portion of the lunch menu (only available weekdays) is generous. Recommend Ebi tempura, the crispy is just right and not oily. That will be great if they offer Sunday lunch menu as well.
Really good restaurant from all aspects: good quality food, you can taste every ingredient, fresh and well digestible. We tried deserts too, and creme brûlée was very distinctive in taste, raspberry mochi - would order a second portion. Reasonably priced too. Service is very good, atmosphere is amazing. The only down side - toilets need an update and surfaces very sticky.... But we would come back for sure. P.S. Could not take decent photos due to neon lighting inside.
Wow what an incredible place. Beautiful looking restaurant that makes you feel like you're in Japan! The food is phenomenal. Best sushi I have ever eaten. The cheesecake was a lovely surprise too. Can't wait to go again!
We had a delicious meal at Kibou. The atmosphere is pleasant, different areas at the restaurant. The staff was ver friendly, attentive to my gluten free needs. The menu has plenty of options for food and drinks. Food was well presented, tasty, good value.
We had dinner here by chance. The place is quite big and has different spaces. Some of them look a bit tacky. The menu is quite big and varied. Has sushi rolls, hot plates, buns, salads. Basically anyone would be able to find something they like! Don’t expect high-end sushi though, just simple, nice enough rolls. The staff were very attentive and friendly.
The deco at 希望was definitely impressive boudoir-style, intimate and pretty. Japan meets China. Friendly service, food menu offered a variety of dishes, not too classic or traditional but quite fancy and reasonably tasty. The prawn tempura was not as light and fluffy as i like mine, but i was happy that Beef Tataki was available since I’m not a raw fish eater. They made pretty sushi/sashimi/maki platters and overall dining was a nice experience.
We (12 people) were there for the festive dinner, and it was not only very good, it was also so much that we all pretty much fell into a food coma afterwards :)
Amazing place! Really great menu.
They put my food on the side of someone elses order and then spilled soy sauce on us when we payed. HORRIBLE! the food, at least the one they didnt mess up, was acceptable at best. Cambridge has way better Japanese restaurants
Very good meal helpful friendly staff
Beautiful place spectacular food amazing service
We had a great time and greatly enjoyed our food. Our waitress Asia was amazing and provided great service. Could not recommend the restaurant enough!
The manager is amazing and the food was excellent. Top notch service. Thank you!
Great food, very attentive staff. Lovely atmosphere :)
Everything was wonderful the good just melted in our mouths and that s saying something for a meal of mainly raw fish!!! Highly recommend!!! The cocktails were amazing too!
Came here for an anniversary dinner. Amazing food and really good quality. Went the extra mile to make it feel special for us
Amazing lunch here and the service was excellent - didn t get the names of the staff but they were serving on 24 Oct lunchtime and they were fantastic. Thank you for a wonderful lunch at Kibou
Is this the classic country experience that has gone too far. Setting and atmosphere was vibrant and there was a vast amount of staff who looked confused. Our dedicated server was good but my old ears didnt understand him.i The food is ok but not the experience I craved. £50 a head seems high when there are so many great village pubs offering excellent choices of food in and around Cambridge and Royston. I wont be rushing back.
Came to Kibou last night for my daughters birthday,The decor inside is beautiful the staff were lovely and went out of their way for us to make sure we was well attended to, The food was insane and very well priced for the portion sizes, We all came away very happy and will certainly be back and recommending this to all of our family and friends. Thank you
It s a dining space on a higher price end. The price might be > 50% contributed to the setting if you need to prioritize that. Setting: characteristics in its own design. Dynamite Prawns (7.5/10): Crispy and well seasoned. The sauce was well prepped. Futomaki Volcano Roll (8.5/10): Well done for the tempura crisp outside, providing another layer of crunchy texture. Hojucha Crème Brûlée (8/10): The tea flavor in the brûlée was an excellent move. The caramelized top was a good one. Even Better to change the top berry into an edible berry type with a bit berry sauce. Would recommend to try once if price is not a sensitive factor and passionate about Japanese food. Scoring Standard: Cambridge + 30% Japanese Restaurant in general.
Dietary restrictions: Waiter checked every dietary problem my son had . Very impressed. Kid-friendliness: Very child friendly. Wheelchair accessibility: There is one big step when you are inside the restaurant.
Incredible atmosphere and perfect for a special occasion (girlfriends birthday). Food and service was excellent - I will visit again!
Good food and nice staff at a convenient location when visiting Cambridge. Nonetheless, it charges 12.5% on top of menu price and be reminded to add in to your budget.
Booked this for my Girlfriend to celebrate her birthday - the booking asks for any special requests I said I am more than happy to pay for and to just let me know about the price, and I just requested a little something for the table would be nice - however nothing provided / done, not sure why they bother asking. Menu is massive and confusing. Both of us ordered Ramen and the taste was bland and did not taste like chicken, broth was bland and for the price it wasnt good enough. Sushi was well made but the salmon tasted old and like it has been in the kitchen for too long. The only good thing was the atmosphere and the way the place looked. for the price Id expect way better food and better system where you would actually accept our requests... the look of the place is really nice, but spent over £90 for 2 sushish 2 drinks and 2 bowls of ramen which left us disappointed and had to get McDonalds after as we left starving.
Great meal: probably should have had more sushi if I really wanted to test the menu but will have to go back for this another time. Meantime, can especially recommend the seared tuna with mango, and *best teriyaki chicken ever*. Amazing interior too
Highly recommended, great food and customer service.
Gorgeous restaurant, great food. Prompt and attentive service from Chloe.
Delicious sushi, amazing place
The restaurant looks good, but we waited over 90 minutes for food and it wasnt that great. Their idea of Wagyu surf and turf is just some dodgy-tasting gravy on nigiri... Food
Kibou has the best sushi in town. Period. They also have great selection of quality wines to go with the food.
The best ramen Ive ever had was here. If youre a first time visitor to Cambridge (like we were), I recommend coming here because it really sets the tone for the day! Vegetarian options: I recommend Dynamite Cauliflower (Vegetarian/Vegan). Burst of flavour
Hadn t heard of Kibou before my girlfriend surprised me for my birthday. Stunning building that is even more impressive and colourful inside, with themed rooms. Both rooms were buzzing and vibrant and the open kitchen on arrival added to the theatre. There was a small mis-communication on service but the team dealt with it perfectly, and tbf our waiter was a lovely guy. Had a mixture of small plates and sushi all absolutely top notch. The soft shell crab bao bun was amazing! Prices very reasonable for the standard of restaurant and food. Thank you for a great evening, will be coming back. xx
We had a delightful lunch and we were thoroughly impressed by the delicious food and friendly service.
Service was inattentive, the waiter had no clue about any of the food but there clearly werent enough staff - perhaps the management should employ more? Food was OK, but the wagyu steak was greasy and unpleasant - not great for £28. Im afraid I wouldnt return.
Very cutely decorated and a wide menu selection , ordered the duck bao bun amd sushi tacos everything was great and came out quick
Delicious and magnificent service, plus it has a very pleasant atmosphere
Great food but the music is too loud and you have to shout a conversation! Please turn the music down! We go there to eat and chat not to listen to music.
Came here with someone who lived in Japan for 10 years and she said it was fairly authentic, which seems to be a good compliment. Food was good, although the service staff were really overworked and busy - if we didnt alert them each time, they would never have came over to us. It was manic and almost stressful as a customer just watching it.
This is a beautiful place to have cosy dinner. I was out with my girlfriend for her birthday and this was the perfect location for good Japanese food and beautiful atmosphere. Also had them bring her a birthday cake with the fire stick Parking: Theres a parking space available for people with Disabled badge
Great sushi and service. We shared a few warm and cold plates, all were delucious
A very tasty fusion approach to traditional Japanese food. For instance, the Waygu sushi is very tasty but not verytraditional to have raw beef on the rice. Had a great time with friends there.
It was the worst place we ate in England. The food isnt what we expected and when we were paying, we noticed that they had added an extra cost, like service, and they didnt tell us. They take advantage that we were tourist to lie to us. When we asked about that, they lied to us telling that here in England, in all restaurants you have to pay that service. It wasnt true because we ate in anothers restaurants here. The tip wasnt little, it was almost 8 pounds more. Unbeliveble. Tourist, be careful with these people.
A great place in Cambridge. Make sure to check for reservations before coming
Visited for our child s birthday (under 5) on a Friday afternoon and was very impressed. Staff were excellent, food without fault and the price very reasonable. Kid-friendliness: Friendly staff, children s menu, high chairs available.
Food was of very high quality. Very expensive! However, we enjoyed it very much. Service was okay. It was very busy.
The lady at the front desk was exceptionally rude, give us an attitude from the moment we walked in. Despite we had a booking in advance and most of the tables were empty, she insist on sitting us near the entrance door. She took it as a fight when we expressed a desire to sit somewhere not near the door. Also refused to let us speak to the manager. She had problems with us right from the beginning and decided to give us a hard time. I suspect that either she s taking personal emotion to work or it s racial reasons. Anyway, would not visit again.
It was our first time visiting this restaurant but it was amazing! Food was great, very nice service and they even changed our table because we were with baby to be sure we are comfortable and have enough space. We really enjoyed it!
experience somewhat ruined by the fact the starter (chicken) was served raw. Offered a free dessert by the staff as a good will gesture. My partner assumed desserts for both of us were complementary but when questioned, we were advised it was just the one.
I been there first time, but I will definitely come back. The food was super delicious, and the waiter was very polite and friendly. He recommended tasty food to try and we were not disappointed. I recommend everything we ate, and will definitely be backkkk
Beat sushi around and great value had a great time every time weve been Will be back again! Food
Want to try the lunch set , good price, delicious food, nice atmosphere. Have to reserve for lunch hour, no seat for walk-in today. Good experience. Thanks for the water service. NHS 15% off . So good. Food : 5/5 |
Incredible place, food and experience
I have been looking forward to dining in this restaurant, but when I got the food it was okay and kinda boring, nothing special and overpriced. Beef sushi is overpriced at £25++ with 6 pieces. Ramen broth in my opinion just tastes like water. They sell pork ramen but when I asked for Pork Katsu Curry they said they only have chicken katsu Curry, I mean if you already have pork why not include it in the curry menu? Anyway, this restaurant is way too overpriced, decent food but not worth spending over £70 for lunch.
Consistent quality. I have been there for lunches quite often. love the place and food.
Slow inattentive service! Food was good. Too much going on so made for a frantic lunch experience. Dining room had a fan hidden in the corner that was very loud and music playing at a volume too high for the space and acoustic.
Very nice food and atmosphere, but most important very lovely and kind stuff.
Food was way overprice, sushi was very chewy. It s beautiful place, but for this price is better to go somewhere else(like sticks and sushi)
Very good food. We tried the set menu and we couldn t believe the amount of food we got.
Place looks good, Starters were ok. Ok as an introduction to Japanese cuisine but left thinking wagamamas probably better.
Lovely restaurant, with tasty food. Soft shell crab recommended.
My wife, daughter and son-in-law had lunch at Kibou yesterday to celebrate my birthday. What a fantastic place, full of atmosphere. It was like being transported to Tokyo. The staff were attentive and knowlegeable. You dont need to know anything about Japanese food. Our waiter walked us through the menu and we decided on a mixed shared platter of 9/10 dishes... each one a mouth watering delight. We will be back.
Vegan options available. Id go there again
Expensive price should be my problem
Lovely restaurant with a dramatic decor that manages to feel intimate at the same time. Excellent Japanese fusion cuisine. Really enjoyed our meal there.
Very good sushi! Only things is, they seated us at the door even though they had enough tables around us. I get it if it is reserved, but during our stay, noone came to sit at those tables. So everyone was coming and going next to us. I would go again just reserve a table first
Consistently great sushi. Have been there several times and have always been super impressed.
The food is very delicious, I recommend 100%. The attention is appropriate and very good. Very nice setting.
Great food, great service and a great atmosphere
This restaurant is mind-blowing. Number 1 in Cambridge for me. Its beautiful inside, staff is very nice and efficient, and the food... I dont even know what to say as it was heavenly experience... Worth every penny and its actually not that expensive!
Surf and Turf Nigiri is a must! Great place, nice vibe and delicious food
Excellent service. We did not have to wait much for the food to be served and it was delicious.
The food was fabulous. And the waiters were very kind and fast. And the atmosphere was great.
The food was delicious, so much so that we visited twice. There was a wide variety of options, including vegan and vegetarian ones. The service was great- fast, and accurate. The atmosphere was lovely as well. I would recommend the ramen as well as the agedashi tofu and the plain rice. The hojicha creme brulee was also delicious, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Vegetarian options: Multiple vegetarian options, from different types of food Dietary restrictions: Gluten-free as well as vegan and vegetarian options
Lovely decor, great menu even if youre not a fan of Sushi. Pumpkin Croquettes Parking: Parking at Shire Hall or Grande Arcade
We were excited to try this place. For starters I had the cauliflower in batter. Very nice and a little spicy. For main I had the katsu chicken. The batter was very thick and overall we didnt think it had an authentic Japanese flavour. It could have been spicy KFC. The restaurant itself is huge and very attractive. I marked down the service because although the food arrived quickly, the dirty plates remained on the table for ages. We would have had a dessert, but looking at our first course leftovers for so long put us off.
Really nice food and great service!
We celebrated our anniversary here, and it was such a lovely evening. The place is beautiful, the decor gives it such a cosy atmosphere. The staff were all so friendly and service was very quick. The best dish was the beef and truffle nigiri, it was incredible! Their tuna sashimi and nigiri were also very high quality and delicious. For dessert the yuzu cheesecake and mochi ice cream selection were great.
Had food here, didn t catch the name of our waitress but the service was amazing, there was a small mistake with our order and it was corrected tenfold along with a free birthday cake and Polaroid, definitely a night to remember! To whoever reads this, I was wearing a green day shirt and we had two servings of plum sake each, if you know who our waitress was give her a raise!!
Great restaurant for any occasion! The food is superb, I can confidently state that it is one of tastiest I ve tried. Defined try the dynamite prawns and the volcano! Good service and really good atmosphere.
Amazing restaurant with incredibly nice personnel and of course food - we were timely served and assisted when needed with the dishes. Greatly surprised. Roberto is also great. Congrats for this fantastic restaurant. We will come back !
Great experience !! We went on a Friday night and honestly we had such a good time. The staff is super lovely and we felt very welcomed :) Now the food best sushi I ve ever had in my entire life. The quality is there ! My advice ? Perfect for a date night. 2nd advice ? Just go !!
Amazing all around
It was fun, there is a lot of people when we went, the food was not bad, some nice items such as the surf and turf, but the portions are quite unreasonable, when you slice 2 scallops into 8 slices you really cant be charging 18 pounds... its a very fusion concepty restaurant with basic after party lighting (Neon) on a white wall...with some qurky interior details, its clearly opened by a person who is well travelled, have fine dined plenty in their lives but lacks the sense of making their own restaurant authentic, still a bit gimmicky, but hey its nice for a chill, nothing serious really, so dont be a critique when you dine there, just enjoy your friends company
An absolutely magical and delicious dining experience. Went for my birthday on a Friday night. You are immersed in the gorgeous interior design and art work as soon as you step inside the door! Projections and calm colourful lighting set the mood perfectly. Staff are kind, efficient and knowledgeable about the menu. I asked for a recommendation on a cocktail and it was perfect! Now for the main gem: THE FOOD. Where to start? Every single plate of food was impeccable and mouth watering. The concoction of flavours that they created was a dream! Our favourites were the volcano roll (both meat and veggie) and the Bao buns and Katsu curry. The 1 star off atmosphere is because it has been super hot in there both times we went, if they had better ventilation it would be a 5 star all around! Go here. DO IT.
Amazing food! So fresh with umami flavours bursting with every bite. The staff were so kind and attentive and were playing with my two year old son and made him feel comfortable and welcome. Highly recommend!!
Went for my birthday. Received a free drink for myself and my partner, which was lovely. Great food, great service. Helped to make my birthday feel special.
Excellent food quality and as ambience
Wonderful wonderful food. Staff were very helpful and professional. Such a lovely building and decor Vegetarian options: Cauliflower started was amazing and one of the best Katsu pumpkin curries Ive had
This was my first experience at this restaurant, my friends and wife had been before. I have mobility problems and use a mobility scooter to get around and with steps leading to the restaurant I thought perhaps I would have to leave my scooter on the pavement, which isnt the widest, my wife asked if there was another entrance or an alternative to gain access. The young lady came out and produced a folding access ramp and with help I managed to gain entrance, with a scary moment thrown in for good measure!! The food was amazing and my head was spinning with so many choices on the menu, and I do like to try as much great food as possible. The drink options were great and my mate chose a Japanese beer with advice from the same young lady who helped us in. We all had a small plate to start and we all had something different and everyone tried each others dishes. I have had a real problem with eating cauliflower but your dynamite cauliflower has converted me!!! The other dishes did not disappoint either. Main course was again a mix of dishes and apart from one, a raman , I did not try but everything else was beyond my taste buds and sent happy dolphins whizzing around. What can I say about dessert? The apple gyzou was unexpected and it worked. Overall we had a great lunch and will definitely be back. Thanks go to the young lady who helped me getting in and her knowledge on all the dishes. Wheelchair accessibility: Access is provided by means of a folding access ramp. Staff are trained in its use just be aware the pavement outside is narrow but access is good.
Excellent service and food. What they do with a humble cauliflower is extraordinary. Delicious
Food: regular sushi. Had some fishbones in salmon avocado ones. Place: regular interior for restaurants who wants to add a couple pounds for the fancy atmosphere. Despite the fact that only two tables were occupied in the whole restaurants, the waiter was happy to announce that they are fully booked and asked us to sit down next to the main entrance corridor and kitchen.
We went for the lunch menu and it was good quality and quality of food for the price we payed. Though the staff arent really that switched on. Sees staff with buggy and toddler have to ask for high chair, have to ask for their promotion set menu, despite its a recent return products, then have to ask again for a kids menu. fix those little attention to detail will quickly move this to a 5 star!
Very nice restaurant the chef lorenzo is very good at making food
Dropped with no booking. Managed to get a table for 2. Nice interior. Quick and friendly service. Nice food. Would recommend.
Very cool decor and fantastic food. Quick and friendly service.
Enjoyed our lunch here, service was a bit slow and atmosphere slightly cold but a nice place to visit.
This is my third time at this restaraunt and it is consistently excellent! We had the afternoon tea as part of my friends birthday present. We both went for the vegetarian afternoon tea which came with a complimentary tea of your choice. We had a selection of sushi (my favourite) which had cucumber, avocado, lemongrass, mango and salad in. This came with ginger and wasabi. Everything tasted fresh and was handmade. My favourite was the vegetable temaki with a hint of spice. I enjoyed every mouthful. We also had two sweet plates, custard doryaki which looked like two american pancakes with custard in the middle. These were ok but tasted great with the strawberry compote. Out of the two tarts I preferred the ones with a hint of lemon and could have eaten a lot of them! The pastry was great but one selection of tartlets I struggled to get flavour from the custard. Im not usually a fan of tea so I tried the genmaicha tea - green tea with toasted brown rice. It smelt like popcorn/corn and I wasnt a fan but glad I tried it. My friend enjoyed the jasmine tea. I really liked the cast iron teapots they came in. We also both had a cocktail each. I found my cocktail ok, I think I picked the wrong one for my tastes! The staff were very attentive and the surroundings are beautiful. Even the toilets are pretty (the basins in the ladies bathroom are something else!) The price was reasonable and we got complimentary lovehearts with the bill which was a cute touch. The cocktails of our choice only cost £1 more outside of the cocktail afternoon tea offer. Its a real experience, I recommend to all. Great for a special occasion or date night.
We had a great dining experience at Kibou. The place looks spectacular, and the food was lovely. The service was excellent, though we received the bill without asking, which seemed like a possible miscommunication.
Great food and good service.
Everything was just WOW! Beautiful place, relaxing music with birds sounds, excellent service, food very tasty and beautifully presented. Volcano Rolls are out this world! Price reasonable for what you get.
This was probably one of the best dining experiences I have had in Cambridge. The food was excellent (the wagyu beef was particularly good); the service was friendly, professional, helpful and prompt and the atmosphere of the place one of sophisticated refinement. Very enjoyable indeed.
The staff were amazingly friendly! Plant based food was incredible! The restaurants design is impressive. I would definitely come back.
Food was outstanding quality, and really tasty. Our waiter as well was extremely personable, and attentive to our needs. The only negative experience was the person at the very front, in the chequered trousers and green waistcoat. His customer service skills, I found to be a quite cold and he came across quite rude. If any fellow customers can skip being served by this individual at the front, it s a fantastic place to enjoy.
Great Japanese food, beautiful environment, good service. Food took a little longer than what you would expect, but surely it was a one off as it was busy.
Very polite, sweet and approachable staff. We had a lovely waitress, Asia(I am unsure of how to spell her name!) But she made us feel welcome, understood that it was our first time and gave us good time to view the menu and drinks with good recommendations of drinks. We had a wide variety of food to challenge ourselves and also to indulge in what they had. A major highlight was those amazing cocktails that blew us away, and that the Manager did go out of their way to make the Guns and Roses cocktail which was an absolute delight, beautiful and I would make the trip back just for that. My partners drink was different and left a aftertaste that made you want to keep tasting it to understand what those flavours were. The drinks had a depth of taste just like the food. Amazing The setting was beautiful, we sat at the room at the end of the hall with lovely decoration. The bathroom was also seen to have effort put into making that lovely. The food was well made, the flavours well thought out and looked beautiful. Only points I will, from my experience, say that is not positive is that I had the Pork Ramen, whilst beautiful in all ways the pork I had to remove to make into smaller pieces for ease and found the naruto only nice to look at but did not add any taste or texture value to the meal. But! Everything else was absolutely perfect, beautifully cooked and a delight. We thank you all for an amazing experience, meal and exceptional service. Dietary restrictions: They noted very quickly that the wasabi peas they put on our table did include gluten, in case we were allergic
Food was fresh and delicious in the most beautiful setting. We did wait around 20/30 mins for our drinks, our food came out before the drinks did but they gave us our first drinks on the house for the inconvenience. There was also a hiccup with the bill but they rectified it quite quickly overall a really pleasant experience.
A little underwhelmed to be honest. Genuinely thought the food, service and experience were very mediocre. Nothing negative to say, everything was just ok. I m not sure I d go back, I think there is far better sushi around.
This place was SO SO good! We stumbled across it on a visit to Cambridge and enjoyed it so much that we went back the next day! Word of advice, order the dynamite cauliflower. Great food, absolutely beautiful setting and lovely staff. It felt like a really special, memorable night out.
Nice place, very good quality fresh sushi, nice presentation and good size portions.
Delicious sushi and sashimi. The dishes without raw fish were all slightly disappointing. Great presentation though.
Very funkily decorated Japanese restaurant which has nice friendly staff (shout out to Destiny!) who explain the complicated menu well. Stand out dishes were the Dynamite Prawns and Volcano Rolls.
Good food, but the price for what you actually get... we went to eat 3 adults and 1 kid. All had 1 starter, 1 main and shared desserts. £150 ... I believe you pay for the sitting as indeed it is quite well decorated and looks stunning. Food
A beautiful tent in Cambridge with a beautiful, hip appearance. The food is diverse, from sushi to ramen and from poke bowls to tempura. There is something for everyone. It gives a purple glow to everything, so you cant see everything clearly. But the flavors are good, the service is fast, especially if you consider the turnover rate. A nice place to have a good meal and share some different dishes with each other
The staff at Kibou were attentive and made sure our table was well looked after throughout the meal. The interior design of the restaurant is modern and refreshing. My drink, the Kibou, was boozy and tasty. My mum had a sake cocktail called Alucard. Though I found the cocktail presentations a bit on the gimmicky side for the price. The starters were a highlight we opted for the takoyaki (octopus dumplings) and the chicken karaage. The beef tataki was tender. The chefs choice 20-piece sushi platter was fresh and delicious, but pricey for the quantity. If we visit again, well definitely try the set menu for a better value. Kibou offers a great dining experience with attentive service and delicious food. While some menu items felt overpriced, the set menu seems like a good option for a more wallet-friendly choice. Well be back to explore that. Overall, I d say it s more style over substance, all dishes were presented beautifully but this did not justify the cost for me. Vegetarian options: Not many vegan dishes, but they re clearly labelled on the menu.
First time trying Japanese food, very impressed. Katsu curry is recommended
Over priced
This place is amazing, the food is obscenely good! Kid-friendliness: The staff were so attentive and inclusive towards my 7yr old which made her feel part of the celebrations. Food : 5/5 |
Impressive building externally, really nicely decorated inside! Would give it 5 stars but, for the price, I would prefer the meat in the ramen to be more meaty and less fatty. Nevertheless,. very tasty
Generally, the food was average and a bit disappointing. The pork gyozas were very salty. The prawn tempura and tofu should come with tempura sauce, but was served with soy sauce. The texture of the yellowtail sashimi was soft, not firm and bouncy like it should be. The teriyaki chicken was very sweet.
We like kibou a lot and rate food highly but when ordering online through Deliveroo the ramen was not packed well enough by the restaurant and so the soup leaked all Over our packaged sushi and ramen vegetables and noodles . The sushi was soaked and crushed.
Good service! My current favourite Japanese in Cambridge. Really pleasant experience
Fantastic service from Peter! He went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable, at ease, and looked after in this beautiful environment.
Excellence of Japanese food !
Cozy restaurant, several rooms, many types of dishes, good service and delicious food. The poke bowls were large, we couldnt finish them. There were meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. They asked if we had any allergies, which was very polite.
Well-decorated space in an amazing building. Food is top-notch, and definitely on the pricey side but worth it. Giving the service 4 stars because it the servers often went missing completely for long periods of time. Felt like we spent a lot of time trying to find one to order more drinks, and to get our bill. But overall a great place and would recommend.
Decent Japanese place. Quality of fish was mid and the flavours were good although certain aspects of dishes (like the stale fried seaweed under the tuna tartar or underseasoning of the salmon tacos) could be improved. Tables are small and the plates they use are massive so keep that in mind when ordering. The place is beautiful though and the staff were absolutely lovely. Service was very quick and efficiently also.
We attended for my daughters 10th birthday. The food was great and came out in good time. The staff were super friendly. Will visit again.
The decor and staff were wonderful. Roberto was very quick to recommend items on the menu. I went with the takoyaki as a starter and a mixed platter. The food was delicious and everyone was very friendly. Would recommend this for anyone that likes sushi. Can t want to go back and try other item on the menu.
Very nice sushi, quick service and friendly staff. The place is very nicely decorated, very pleasant atmosphere.
Fabulous food, brilliant service and a beautiful setting
Food, service, and atmosphere were all superb! Dont be fooled by the wagyu and tightly compact sushi and youll order more than you can eat! This place is beautiful.
Highly recommend soft shell crab and katsu chicken curry. Truffle taste is strong for surf&turf sushi. The poke bowl mushroom is not as good because fried mushroom is cold and didn t taste well. Food
Good that they have vegan options Food was pretty nice Bit expensive though for the taste
Booked this for my wife to celebrate her birthday - the booking asks for any special requests, I just requested a little something for the table would be nice - however nothing provided / done, not sure why they bother asking. Menu is massive and confusing. Noise levels were nuts, couldnt hear each other speak (neither of us is old or hard of hearing, and we dont even mind a bit of noise, but this was too much). When we didnt like one of the dishes, the waiter offered for us to take it home (makes sense...) for the price Id expect a better atmosphere, better service... the look of the place is nicer than the experience you get.
Dined here for my girlfriends birthday, and whilst the food was very nice the service did let it down. The staff at the door and reception desk were not welcoming with no greeting and multiple parts of our order were forgotten, leading us to wait over an hour for some menu items. We also included in the special recommendations that it was a birthday, and despite other tables receiving a cake & sparkler we did not - even when asking, only to be told that it had been given to the wrong table... not offering to replace it or repeat it. Whilst the food was nice and I would come back, I wouldnt rush to do so - not at the price they charge with non-optional service charge added
Beautiful place, but the food was not a total hit; my sashimi platter was excellent, but my lantern roll was disgusting (I think there was something wrong with the tempura soft shell crab, it was mushy and bitter/metallic-tasting, not what I expect from crab meat at all - and I did get some stomach cramps by the end of the evening). One of my friends also ordered an oat milk matcha latte which was somehow simultaneously too bitter and too sweet. Waitress didnt do any quality checks - even when faced with a mostly-uneaten roll and a barely drunk matcha latte - and was generally very slow and inattentive. Ended up at ~£60 per head, which is a bit high for what we got.
Stunning food, atmosphere and service. Huge thanks to Beatrice for being totally fabulous. We visited from Norwich for a special occasion. We will be back as soon as we can.
Great for and cocktails, service was excellent too!
Simon, from Cambridge Foodies, recommended Kibou and it did not disappoint. Beautiful decor, fantastic staff and lovely food. Best restaurant in Cambridge. Thank you and see you again!
This restaurant is amazing. Its such a beautiful place. The staff were attentive and friendly. The food was spot on. We didnt try the sushi, but being vegetarian, there were plenty of options. I recommend a visit 100% worth it. The prices are very reasonable for the experience and quality of food.
Food was fantastic and everyone enjoyed it. The kitchen was quite slow as they took around 40 minutes to bring our food. The serving staff were good.
Lovely restaurant, fantastic food and professional staff. Really impressed about the lunch menu i high recommend this place
Food quality is low comparing to a good Japanese restaurant. Then very expensive
Food was hit and miss. For example we had two pork skewers one which was good the other was chewy as the fat wasn t rendered properly. Some of the sushi was nice but nothing was amazing. Service was poor. Both the food and drinks came very slowly. We were asked if we wanted to desert whilst we were still waiting on plates of sushi to arrive. The waiter who served the food couldn t name the plates he was serving us. We let our waitress know we weren t completely happy at the end and she apologised although no senior members of staff asked us for any specific feedback which is not the sign of a restaurant which cares about their customers experience. Our two course dining experience with one round of drinks took 2 hours (for context it was a mid week evening and wasn t busy). Overall we had an uneven and disappointing experience and sadly wouldn t go back. Not worth the money or the time.
Delicious Japanese food and a beautiful venue.
Great surroundings in this restaurant, food is varied, so much choice, 1st time for me having Japanese meal, loved it, would definitely recommend this restaurant and visit again.
We had a wonderful meal here and we have already booked to go again next month.
The place is stunning and the service is on point. The sushi were good but I wouldn t get the veggie roll again.
My favourite restaurant in Cambridge!
Food is very good and delicious
I absolutely love the decoration. Freshly prepared sushi, top quality ingredients. Me and my daughter had a lovely dinner together. Definitely go back again. My special thanks go to the Roberto and Despina for an excellent hospitality..
That was really a good discovery. I will definitely go there again
Went here with my friend and it made me feel very asian once again £15 lunchtime meal (for students I think) was amazing value for a restaurant of this high class Food : 5/5
Lovely eve at kibou for a friends birthday celebration. Attentive service, amazing food and even a few complimentary extras for the birthday girl and friends! thank you so much roberto (our amazing waiter) and everyone at kibou
Service was good however all food was piled on the small table so went cold before we finished starters. Had to send bau bun back about was soaked in grease and fat, sushi had been standing somewhere for hours and not fresh, chairs have nails sticking through so mind your clothes, overall much better places to eat out.
The atmosphere is nice and the staff is friendlyish , the service is not good they just keep bringing the food even when the tables is full and no place for anymore it s feels very rushed to get you your food and out you go . Now for the food its nothing really I would not recommend it
Went for dinner and had the Tokyo platter and a few other dishes. Sashimi was great, and atmosphere was nice. However, we felt that some of the dishes which had the siracha mayo overpowered the taste of the actual fish, which was a shame. Otherwise nice restaurant
Delicious sushi and tempura, very friendly staff and good vibes
Perfectly delicious!
My experience at KIBOU was nothing short of delightful. I highly recommend this spot to anyone looking for - . Its a dining experience thats bound to impress and one that Im eager to repeat. While KIBOUs menu includes other staples like ramen and donburi, and as good as they might be, the sushi and sashimi are the true headliners here. , . You can almost taste the diligence and passion that goes into the preparation.
We booked Kibou as our daughter had always wanted to go. As my wife and daughter were in town for some shopping I decided to book it for a lunchtime slot. We arrived a bit earlier than we expected but we were still welcomed and shown to our table. We were asked if we would like complimentary still or sparkling water for the table and then given the menus. There is a choice of the lunch special (teishoku) menu or the standard full menu. My wife and I chose the lunch menu while our daughter chose from the standard menu. The Teishoku menu is fixed at £14.90 per person and is a fair and reasonable price. Miso soup arrived before the main courses and was very tasty. Edamame beans in a variety of flavours then followed. The mains then appeared. My daughter had chicken noodle ramen which was, according to her, fantastic. The wife had chicken teriyaki and I had chicken yakitori. They came with Japanese pickles, gomae wakame (seaweed salad), salmon tataki and tamagoyaki (egg omelette) and rice. All were freshly prepared and lovingly presented. Deserts were apple goyoza, yuzu cheesecake and hojicha creme brulee, all very tasty indeed. We washed the main meal down with a Mai Tai cocktail for my daughter, a glass of Red wine for the wife and a Japanese beer for myself. We finished off with a coffee and green tea. The booking was for 2 hours which was plenty to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and not be hurried into eating multiple courses of food, something the Japanese are renowned for. Music was not Japanese but Korean K-Pop according to my daughter, but this didnt ruin the atmosphere. Please be aware that there is a 12.5% service charge added to the bill. We didnt think this was unreasonable and were happy to pay. Would we go again? Yes, would we recommend it? Yes.
Nice people good food
Second time we ve been and really impressed. Great food and service in a fantastic building
Food overall was delicious, kind staff, and good ambience from the place. But we were somewhat disappointed with the service during our pre-booked dinner. Despite requesting to be seated together and ordering dessert discreetly for a birthday celebration, we were placed at a regular two-seater table facing each other. While the staff was friendly, I couldnt help but compare this experience to previous ones where other restaurants have accommodated such requests, some even going the extra mile by offering a complimentary small cake with a happy birthday message. We ordered the four course meal for £25/pp, but the order of the food came out randomly and we ended up trying to finish some plates quickly because our table was getting too full. Although the food was delicious, expected a more organized approach for a four-course meal experience. We might have set our expectations too high based on the positive reviews and the impressive appearance of the place, but the service fell short of what we had hoped for. We ordered a dessert at the end, we got the green tea crème brûlée and it was divine. A definite must try from the KIBOU.
Nice evening, some communication problems between staff and kitchen.
Great food
Beautiful restaurant with great food and very fair prices for the quality.
Super spacious and warm. Love the food, sushi is fresh and lovely. Service is amazing too. Definitely a great spot for families.
The restaurants interior is truly breathtaking! Each corner boasts stylish and exotic decor, providing the perfect backdrop for any occasion. I opted for the chicken katsu curry, a dish commonly found elsewhere, but here, it had a unique and delicious twist. The Large portion section of the menu priced at around £15, were both reasonable and filling. While sushi was a bit beyond my budget, my friend, who ordered a £25 platter, found it left them hungry and needing to order more. My cocktail, a passionfruit martini, added a delightful touch to the evening. Ive noticed an advertised afternoon tea and am eager to give it a try. The staff were friendly and attentive, and the clean toilets featured an amazing interior, ideal for a quick selfie. A 12.5% tip was added to the bill, and booking is recommended. While theres on-street parking nearby, arriving on foot or by bike is advisable. Overall, a memorable experience with great ambiance and service.
Decent food with hits and miss if you can tolerate the orientalist decoration. 1 Favorite things first, Hojicha Creme brûlée is probably the best Creme brûlée I ve ever had. It has a rich roasted tea flavor and is not too sweet. The texture is super soft and silky. (I love custard of any sort, sometimes tolerating the high sugar, but this one is above and beyond.) Scallop nigiri is excellent. The scallop on the nigiri melts in mouth and actually tastes better than the sashimi version. The sashimi moriawase is also quite nice, with fresh fish and thick cuts. Wagnyu tataki is not a wow-level for the price. It is too thin and looks a little sad comparing with the regular beef version in terms of flesh color. The dressing is refreshing, but the onion/shallot crisps are too overpowering for the delicate meet. Japanese garden, the other dessert is alright. I like the sesame flavor, but the mousse and chocolate part is too heavy. I was really hesitating before visiting the restaurant because of the interior design no offense to the artist, but there is just too much western imagination of something exotically Japanese, Asian, Oriental I can t stop thinking about Edward Said when I gaze at the geisha, the Chinese porcelain looking washbasin, the chinoiserie furniture. (The lighting is dreamily purple and perfect for food pictures tho.) The brighter side, despite the wild representation, the food is arguably tasty, as my friends agree. - Service: Many thanks to Theodore who took our order :) Very friendly and helpful in all sorts of things. The kitchen mixed up the orders (regular beef instead of wagnyu tataki and sashimi instead did nigiri), but his memos are faultless. It is on the pricy side comparable to the more established S* Sushi, but they save a return ticket for London. Might come back some day for sashimi or chirashidon and another hojicha creme brûlée. Update: I did get that to-go on behalf of a family friend craving for some creme brûlée (and I was dreaming of it too). 2 Again, with Orientalism, there is only a fine line between fantasy and misrepresentation. Chirashi is lovely, nice selection of fresh fish. The tamagoyaki appears to be made in from some premixed powder or liquid. Not rolled and no Daishi or soy sauce. It is very artificial in flavor and texture. Sweet egg rubber? My friend said her teriyaki chicken tastes more like yakitori, which is a different, more savory seasoning. Fortunately she likes it despite the misnomer. Kabocha korokke is pretty good. Crispy crust, soft and mellow sweet squash. The tonkatsu sauce is just right to highlight and balance the flavor. Dynamite prawn is pretty sad for me. The prawns are large and plump; but the mayonnaise just overpowers everything, the miso (?) sauce and the seafood. Pity. And the hojicha creme brûlée again :> the star of the show. My friend loves hojicha and fell in love with it.
One of the best restaurants in Cambridge hands down. Not only is the atmosphere of the restaurant friendly and welcoming, but the food is incredible. It is clear that the Kibou staff prides themselves in their work with the presentation along with their service, will be attending in the future. Thank you to Rocky for your service in particular, you made my experience an exceptional one, and i hope to relive it when i return. P.S. the pumpkin croquette were the highlight of my evening.
Beautiful, different decor, lovely ambience and the food was really tasty and delicious. It isnt cheap though, but definitely worth a visit
An absolutely extraordinary venue, with such beautiful details and lush decor. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, there are plenty of wine and cocktail options, and best of all a supremely impressive sushi and sashimi selection which you can see being prepared in the open counter kitchen. Watch out for the wasabi! Top marks for this stunning restaurant experience in Cambridge
It is one of the best Japanese restaurants I have tried. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is excellent, and the people are amiable. Not to mention, they make the best coffee around Cambridge! They probably have to improve on the service a touch, as it was pretty slow for the number of tables they had. Overall a good round 4.8!
Really lovely experience at Kibou Cambridge. Food was brilliant, service was friendly, great and very prompt. The interior is lovely. I had the volcano rolls which were really good and a cocktail which was well made.
A really special birthday treat - we knew nothing about Japanese cuisine and the waitress very helpful signposted a sensible route through the menu. We ended up ordering more food than we needed because so many dishes looked appealing and the waitress tried to warn us but we ignored her, so that was definitely on us! The sushi was incredible and the miso glazed aubergine very memorable. We didn t try the desserts but will have to go back!
Nice place and staff
Beautiful place and service. Staff are attentive and polite. Pricey but you pay for the ambiance and the quality of food. We tried their signature sushi and sashimi platter, the Tokujo Moriawase, it was amazing however I think its too pricey for what it actually is. Youll end up ordering more as it wont fill you up. Youd be better off ordering individual sushi plates as youll get more. Would come back but not ordering the signature platter again.
Great food and setting. Only complaint would be that service was rushed - our mains were served whilst still eating our starters! Next time will be asking them to wait! Otherwise recommend for a lovely meal out in a beautiful setting.
Dietary restrictions: My 2 year old has dairy allergy and there were quite a few vegan options to choose from. Im very pleased with the service and would definitely recommend it. Food
Food and customer service are always excellent! Roberto delivered a 5 start service, and he was very friendly with me and my friends explaining all the menu. We are definitely going back again.