Kanpai

It was a Saturday and I thought «Time to treat myself to something delicious» so OF COURSE I chose sushi! I noticed Kanpai while on my way to Mademoiselle Macaron (practically next door to each other) and Unilocaled it immediately when I had the chance. Behold, a popular Japanese place that I NEEDED to try! Perfect!
Went over for lunch and was quickly welcomed by friendly staff members. I sat at the sushi bar because I wanted to intimidate the chefs while they made sushi (hahahaha it’s really a hobby of mine to make people feel uncomfortable). I also like when they finish making your food and immediately serve it to you over the bar, it feels more prompt and efficient lol
The space is beautiful! Very minimal and stylish, just like how Japanese restaurants should be. It was bright, clean and welcoming at the same time.
Anyway, I ordered a miso soup, salmon sashimi, soft shell crab maki and some green tea to go with everything (altogether, I paid 21.50quid). The miso soup was a good way to start the meal along with my freshly sliced salmon sashimi served in a bowl of shaved ice! Uggghhh so perfect with wasabi and soy sauce! My heart was exploding with happiness! The soft shell crab maki was delicious too! The crab was freshly fried up and then made into sushi right in front of me so props for freshness! :-) I was so full at the end of the meal, I could take a nap at the restaurant itself!
Overall, loved eating here! Was one of my favourite places to have been lucky enough to discover! Definitely will bring Gian here when we get a chance to visit Edinburgh again! :-D

This is about as good as sushi in Edinburgh gets. The best part of Kanpai is the atmosphere which is lovely. It is usually completely wonderful, but the last time I was there something was going on with staffing because the staff were EVERYWHERE and NOWHERE at the same time. Filling glasses of water when they didn’t need filling and completely walking away when we had to add to our order or pay the bill. They were incredibly disorganised on that one occasion which is UNCHARACTERISTIC for Kanpai. It must have been a bunch of new staff, because I’ve never seen anything like it. It became amusing because it was so bad. Kanpai staff are every single other occasion reserved, polite, available exactly when you need them, scarce when you want privacy, and above all, very dignified and knowledgeable. I will forgive them that one night because it was clearly something that had happened and not their usual groove. Their fish: I love the grilled scallop sashimi, the eggplant dish that they make, their tempura is perfection, all of the tuna is gorgeously pink, the gunkan are beautiful and delicious, their seafood salad is great value and delicious, all of their special rolls are good and beautiful to look at. I could go on. Everything here is good. You’ll pay more for it, but you’ll be happy you did.

My favourite place for sushi in Edinburgh. Love the grilled aubergine and sirloin steak. the sashimi platter is fresh and highly recommended especially the scallop sashimi. Can’t go wrong with any of the sushi. Also, their ice cream selection is excellent — try the green tea ice cream! Book a table so you’re not disappointed. The service is variable and they change their staff frequently which is why I haven’t given it five stars.

You cannot fault this place! The sushi is exquisite and served very promptly even on a busy night (which is every night btw guys so make sure you book). Aaaaahhhhh the dragon roll is so good here that I had to maybe possibly definitely did get two of them… The service is also spot on. It’s a must for locals and visitors to the city in my honest, totally awesome and worthy opinion ;)

It’s feels like I’m in Japan having a dinner in one of those master chef sushi bar. Everything are well presented. I went with some friends and really enjoy that night. Sushi, sake and boys talk.
Ingredients are fresh, sushi served in proper way.

When walking around Edinburgh you might not think that sushi is the best idea. Don’t make the mistake I almost made — if you continue walking by this intimate sushi restaurant in Old Town Edinburgh it will truly be a shame — it’s fantastic and well worth a stop. The fish was incredibly fresh and they put unique touches on old stand-​bys: the dragon roll had a wonderful layer of avocado on the outside with a dollop of Japanese mayo that was a bit sweeter than usual, for example. I’m leaving full, satisfied, and scheming ways in which I can get back here later in my week-​long visit. Delicious!

Love when I find a delicious sushi spot when traveling through Europe. The sashimi platter was delicious as was the miso soup. The staff was very accommodating when I arrived close to the lunch closing time. The staff was very attentive. Being from California I really appreciate good sushi. Definitely give it a try when visiting.

Came here around 6:30pm local time and the place was already ²⁄₃ full. The food was amazing and the sashimi fresh. It was disappointing that the waitress got my order wrong and then did not do anything to remedy the situation after I told her. However, I prefer to judge based on quality of food and not so much on service. I would definitely recommend and return if in Edinburgh.

The most upscale in terms I’d variety and presentation I’ve found in Edinburgh. Only negative is being on try the more pricey end. Went here for a birthday dinner — small place but tasteful décor.

Woops — I ate here ages back and totally forgot to review it. So apologies in advance for the scant detail! I like the décor in here and it has a really pleasant atmosphere. We had a team lunch here and it was pretty damn good although there were small hiccups with certain things not being available and what have you. We sat in the somewhat private area at the back and it was a really nice space to enjoy a meal.
Alex S is right — the best dish for me was the amazing grilled and sauced aubergine. I also liked the soft shell crab roll, the seaweed salad and of course, dumplings. I’d definitely head back to Kanpai when I’m in Edinburgh next.

Finally got around to trying this place. Decided to treat myself and sushi seemed like the best idea! Lovely little place somewhat hidden but not to far. Didn’t make a reservation and got lucky by getting a seat at the bar. Do make a reservation though if it’s more then one person because I am guessing it will be a bit difficult to just grab a seat since it’s always busy every time I walk by it. Anyways the food was delicious! Pricy but worth it. Had the big sashimi bowl. Bunch of fresh sashimi over ice. The chef prepares it right in front of you. Paired with a nice sake and you have one of the best meals in the world. Staff was really friendly couldn’t thank them enough for squeezing me in. Overall great experience and probably the best sushi I have had so far in Edinburgh.

The best Sushi in Edinburgh, possibly the UK. Ridiculously fresh.

There’s no point having the best sushi chefs in Edinburgh and having incompetent staff who can’t keep track of reservations! I made reservations for 6:30 and changed it to 830… When I got there the staff have me a blank look and said no one changed my reservation… After waiting for 2 hrs… just pissed me off! The place is over price and you can get better sushi elsewhere… Beware when U make reservations!

Came here based on the reviews from Unilocal and was not disappointed. My boyfriend got an assortment of sushi which he really liked and after reading the Unilocal reviews I decided to get the eggplant. The eggplant was a little hard to eat, a little mushy but the flavor was so good. I tried sushi for the first time and really liked it. Great sushi!

Have come back a few times since to keep trying out and this is solidly one of my favourite restaurants in Edinburgh now. Amazing Japanese food. Brought the SO here even though she «didn’t like» sushi, and she loved it. Even tried sashimi!
Recommended!
Also the staff are so lovely I want to take them home. Wait that sounds weird.

Yesterday I organised to have lunch with a friend andddddd our brand-​new community manager Jody B! We wanted to try out Kanpai, a place which many locals rave about, yet I have shamefully not yet set foot in the place.
Upon entering however we were given some bad news, apparently the restaurant was booked up for lunch! After briefly walking away and contemplating going elsewhere we decided to go back and try out our persuasive powers… We got lucky and the waiter added a chair to a table set for two.
The menu was in itself beautiful, a floral scroll painting; this gave me high hopes for its actual content. There were not many options, especially for me as a vegetarian, but
this made me think the menu chose quality above quantity. I knew from the start that I would be ordering the famous miso aubergine, but also got some avocado maki on the side. They could do with a few more inventive veggie rolls as what was available was pretty basic, but well done.
The miso aubergine was the star of the lunch, it literally melted in my mouth and the sweet miso sauce was delicious. It was presented very delicately on a grid above a thinly grated carrot bed. The sushi was as it should have been, but was perhaps a little pricy at £4.20.
Book in advance, expect good but expensive food, order the aubergine.

Kanpai is an authentically designed sushi bar nestled just under the Edinburgh Castle. The staff are so polite and so friendly. The décor is minimalist and very Japanese. The whole experience at Kanpai reflects the elegance and simplicity of Japanese cuisine.
Food-​wise everything on this menu down to the wine selection is spot on.
Recommendations: Spicy Tuna Gunkan Nigiri, the Kanpai Special roll, and the Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream.

The former Vancouverite is reviewing a sushi place in Edinburgh…
RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!
Folks, Edinburgh has many a thing going for it over wee ol’ Canada. For one, there’s a castle in the middle of the city. For second, you can drink whisky cheaply and stare at that castle to your heart’s content. So when I was told i’d have to give up some of the best sushi outside of Japan for castles, whisky and great pubs (#3), it wasn’t a difficult choice. I’m here aren’t I?
But I didn’t quite realize how quickly the sashimi cravings would kick in and so i’ve been systematically scouring the city for sushi spots. I’ve entered most apprehensively and here’s what I’ve learned:
Edinburgh actually has some darn respectable sushi joints.
You’ll just pay out the nose for that fact.
I had the pleasure of hitting this little sushi spot with Elizabeth G this afternoon and I must say, of the respectable joints in town, Kanpai is one of the best.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Make a reservation. Because even if it’s 1pm, you might not get in. We quite literally had to beg to squeeze three bodies at a two person table to get our sushi fix in.
2. Order the eggplant… I mean, aubergine. It’s delicious. You will not want to share this.
3. Don’t expect me not to call it eggplant. It’s only been a month folks. I’m learning slowly.
4. The rainbow roll is excellent. I went with this as a failsafe. I was personally craving sashimi, but if you’re in a new sushi spot and don’t know how good it’s really going to be, that can be a risky order. The rainbow roll was topped with tuna & salmon sashimi and it was delectable. I really should have trusted my fellow Unilocalers on that one.
5. Expat bonus tip: Don’t convert the dollar amounts in your head. Yes, it’s true — this place is pretty darn pricey, and definitely won’t make a good pit stop day to day but it IS worth setting aside some dough and popping in every so often. The quality is worth the price and it is truly the best place i’ve been so far.
Castles. Whisky. Passable sushi.
Edinburgh, you’re stuck with me now.

OK, so let’s start with the facts. The UK, while doing many many things well, misses the high note in a couple big areas. One of the most blaring ones is sushi (also Mexican food, but that’s a story for a different review.)
So when my boss told me we were going for sushi during a work outing here in Edinburgh, my heart sank. Just a little.
And yet, what I found here at Kanpai (which means «cheers», but the way) was a tranquil spot with delicious food, and yes, that included the sushi. Ah-​mazing.
We were a big group and they had no problem sitting us in a back area all to ourselves (probably for the best, we were a loud group too.) We ordered a ton of different items for the table and all were quality. Stand outs were the amazing grilled and sauced aubergine (and I usually truly dislike aubergine), soft shell crab roll, a beautiful and crunchy seaweed salad and some solid Takoyaki.
Where they lose points is in the service, where the food does come out slowly and in weird orders. Some of our got our mains and then it was another 10 or so minutes for everyone else to be fed. Created some awkward staggering times of eating. Also, they were out of tuna, and apparently this happens all the time (no sushi restaurant should ever run out of tuna. That is law.)
But overall, a surprise upon a surprise and I’d come back here in a heartbeat.

I believe this review is relative to what you’re accustomed to, but I’ve lived in the UK long enough to miss good sushi… and I’m from Georgia, not exactly the sushi capital of the US. That said, I have to say that I’ve been pretty much shocked at the «meh» factor of most sushi places I’ve tried in the UK… I’m sure there are hidden gems, but I’ve hit so many duds in my quest that I subconsciously have started avoiding one of my favourite food types.
So, on to Kanpai… it’s good, really good… good enough that it’s getting five stars because I simply haven’t had sushi this good on this side of the pond yet, and it’s reasonably priced. If you’re over from Japan (or even California) I’m not sure it would rock you’re world, but if like me you’ve grown cold to sushi because it’s always either far overpriced, simply not good, or worse… both, then bookmark this place and give it a go.
The King Prawn Tempura… wow, it’s a must for a starter, a real treat. I’ve had the Squid Tempura as well, and while also nice it didn’t quite live up to the King Prawn Tempura… which is a bit of a surprise to me since I normally fall on the side of squid when playing favourites between the two. I’ve also had the Grilled Aubergine in sweet Miso Sauce and it packed a punch with flavour… it could have almost been a dessert! I’ve also had the Pan Fried Veg & Chicken Dumplings on two occasions, loving them the first time… sadly the second time, while still good, they didn’t live up to the first visit… they came out a bit cold and the dipping sauce was a bit weaker in flavour. (They were still good, just not as good.)
(Side note… if you’re in London, near Angel, seriously try the dumplings at New Culture Revolution… they’re handmade bits of win, no other way around it.)
I’ve had a few of the rolls at Kanpai, but so far the Dragon Roll is probably the winner in presentation and taste… I don’t think you could really go wrong with any of them that sound of interest to you. The Kanpai Special Combo is a win for sashimi taste and presentation… go with a friend and order one of these, a Dragon Roll, and have the King Prawn Tempura as a starter (I’ll let you pick the second starter on your own… it’s your dinner after all!) and your table will look like a presentation fit for a magazine.
So search no more Dear Unilocalers, there is now somewhere I honestly look forward to going for sushi… not in the «well, it will do» way that so many other places have been until now… I legitimately crave this place.
For the place itself… it’s almost hidden, with no sign jutting out, but clean and well laid out inside… the staff are courteous as well, but it can get quite busy… a booking on a busy night is wise… very wise indeed.
Enjoy!