Gaijin Sushi

We had the omakase experience and it was amazing. It lasted for just over two hours and everything we ate was so good. The fish was so fresh and it watching our food being made was fun. My only qualm is that the stools are very uncomfortable. They are fine for a bar where you're sitting for like 30 minutes but sitting on them for 2 hours was not the most pleasant.

+6

This was a fantastic experience, for myself and my partner whom are both huge lovers of sushi. Seeing a professional sushi chef, crafting sushi first hand for us, was beautiful to witness. The sushi itself was vibrant and fresh tasting, truly a delicious experience for the tastebuds. We had the Omakase, which is a selection of sushi tailored to which ingredients are freshest that day, selected and orchestrated by the chef. Everything felt thoughtful and expertly put together. Each dish was described for us as it was presented. All the staff were professional and friendly. Our sushi chef (sorry I can't remember name) also taking the time to chat with us towards the end of our meal. I didn't photograph as much as I should have as I was too excited to taste everything 😆 but I would highly recommend this experience, and restaurant in general, for exceptional sushi and a wonderful experience.

+3

Caijin Sushi provides an unmatched sushi experience. The restaurant offers a refined ambiance and meticulous attention to detail, elevating the meal beyond just the food. The sushi is crafted with the freshest ingredients and exceptional skill, guaranteeing an unforgettable dining experience. While the prices may be higher, the quality, presentation, and atmosphere make it worth every penny. For those seeking an authentic experience and top-tier sushi, Caijin Sushi is a must-visit destination

+1

Beautiful food, great service and a lovely ambience. Make a booking and go dine there!

The best sushi in the UK that I've tried. Warm, friendly atmosphere with brilliant service. Watching the talented chefs prepare your sushi right in front of you is such a brilliant experience. The quality of the food is also second to none! We tried so many things from the menu and when we couldn't choose anything else, they made us something special based on what we liked best. Just such a brilliant meal/experience

+3

Always amazing and fantastic!! I am a big fan of gaijin, they are really improving all the time, and every time I go, they bring me different surprises. Especially with the omakase they are making now, the freshness of the fish is needless to say, it is as good as ever, and the key is that the chef has done a very perfect seasoning, making the topping perfectly serve nigiri's taste. Such a beautiful experience we experienced. 200% recommended.

+3

Absolutely quality experience. A lot of love has gone into every single detail of this place and the dishes. The sashimi melted in your mouth and the soft shell crab was delicate and light. Every bite should be savoured.

+3

My husband & I did the Omakase Experience on my birthday, and what an experience it was! Omakase means ‘trust the chef’ and what a pay off! Every single bite was out of this world, only to be matched by the next! The ambience was lovely and the staff we so helpful and friendly, The general menu also looks great & we’ll be back to try! We’ve already been spreading the word to friends! Can’t wait to return!

Came here early Thursday evening with my partner for a bite to eat before we went to the opening of The Lion King at the Hippodrome. From the moment we walked in, we were made to feel really welcome, and we sat at the bar so we could watch the food prep. We stated that we had not tried sushi before and so are looking to be educated. And educated we was. We shared the chef's selection, which had a wide variety of fish, scallops, prawns, and wow, The eel was amazing. I really liked the Miso soup. We tried the Japanese cocktails, which I found to be fruity and sweet. Nice, but not usually my thing, so we asked to try the Sake. We were both given samples of the different Sake they had, and then we selected a bottle with our meal. The owners were really friendly and chatty. It's a pleasure to chef's and owners engaging with the clientele. The atmosphere is nice and chilled, with positive cheery energy. I would definitely come here again.

Incredible. A relatively affordable omakase experience to remember! The service from the attentive and chatty staff was flawless, offering their knowledge and expertise in the kindest way. A special shoutout to the chef who knew his stuff, and made the night wonderful, chatting away as he worked right in front of us. The sushi itself was insane, specifically the torched scallops, yellowtail and medium fatty tuna, all of them blew our minds. It’s sushi like we’ve never had before. We both genuinely gasped at the first mouthful of yellowtail, and couldn’t believe our tastebuds with the scallops - truly magnificent. The atmosphere is buzzing, but in an intimate, relaxing kind of way, and the whole night was impeccable. As someone who has often shied away from up market sushi due to the price or believing it couldn’t be THAT good due to its simplicity, tonight has made me realise how ignorant I was to the art. Cannot get over this to be honest, it has made us both want to get straight back in and try some more! Thanks again to a great team and for some top notch food.

+6

Authentic Japanese sushi journey in Birmingham. The best there is in mid England. Staffs are very friendly, chefs are professional and very patient to talk us through every wonderful sushi pieces.

+6

Absolutely delicious fresh sushi with great personal. Definitely worth a visit!

I went here with my dad and tried the tasting menu - omakase. It was a 9 course and was really delicious as we also got to see the chef prepare it, each course was well prepared and scrumptious. Despite the small portions, it was very filling yet nice. Would recommend if you like a Japanese style course with friends or family. And I would say this may be my new favourite restaurant.

+6

Came here yesterday with the family and honestly, what a meal. We've been to loads of sushi places across Asia and been to Japan several times, and this is genuinely the best sushi we've had since moving to the UK. Everything was spot on. Beautifully presented, perfectly executed, and so fresh. What really stood out is how authentic it all was. This isn't your typical UK sushi that's been toned down for British tastes. This is proper Japanese cuisine that could hold its own in Tokyo. The restaurant looks gorgeous too, really lovely decor. But what made the evening special was Claudia, our waitress. She was absolutely brilliant. So warm and friendly, played peek-a-boo with our girls, and was incredibly flexible with how they served the omakase to work around our family. Just made us feel completely welcome. We brought our young daughter and toddler along (always a bit nerve wracking!) but they couldn't have been more accommodating. The team was so thoughtful and flexible, and they even surprised our daughter with a special sushi rice bowl which she was over the moon about, plus a lovely dessert at the end. Honestly, more people need to know about this place. If you want proper, authentic Japanese food done to an exceptional standard, you need to come here.

INCREDIBLE! The best sushi restaurant I’ve ever been to. I’m embarrassed it has taken me so long to visit, but happy to have a new fave to recommend to anyone and everyone who will listen. The quality of the food is sensation, staff are knowledgeable and welcoming, and the atmosphere is cosy and intimate.

+2

This has to be one of the best sushi spots I’ve tried in the UK. Everything tasted exceptionally fresh, and the atmosphere was cozy and calm, making it a really enjoyable place to dine. The chef was clearly highly experienced from the precise preparation to the careful way the fresh fish was stored and handled, every detail showed true skill and respect for the craft of sushi making. I will definitely come back when i am back in the city again.

Had a lovely lunch date with my husband at Gaijin Sushi, Birmingham, and it was absolutely fantastic! We had some of the best sushi rolls and sashimi we’ve ever tasted, everything was incredibly fresh and bursting with flavour. We ordered the Gaijin Set, which came with a delicious variety of sushi rolls and sashimi, a perfect choice if you want to try a bit of everything. I also loved the sushi bar setup, where you can watch the chefs prepare your food right in front of you. It’s such a satisfying experience and really adds to the authenticity. The ambience was relaxing and modern, making it perfect for a casual date or a special treat. The staff were super friendly and knowledgeable, taking the time to explain each dish as they served it. Highly recommend Gaijin Sushi for anyone looking for fresh, high-quality sushi in Birmingham — we’ll definitely be back! 🍣✨

A truly delightful experience. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, the staff highly professional, and the food exceptional. I will certainly return and recommend this place to friends.

Great authentic sushi and attentive staff! Highly recommended

Been meaning to try here for ages and it didn't disappoint. We sat at the counter so got to see the sushi being made. The chef and staff were really friendly, talked about the food and made menu suggestions. For the quality of food and service, the prices are very reasonable too.

The Omakase experience was absolutely incredible. The food quality is the best in town. Really love the atmosphere as it’s spacious and moody. You can chat with the chef for the best combo of sauce and wasabi. The restaurant manager is super friendly and helpful. Highly recommended.

Visited several times. You get what you pay for. To be fair, it's still an affordable price for a sushi restaurant. If you want to try authentic sushi, you must visit this place. Michal, the sushi chef understands history, philosophy and respects Japanese culture and It's so clear this guy has passion that also reflects every single piece. Interior design is simple but sophisticated that reminds me of proper high end restaurant. We'll definitely come back again. Thank you team for serving excellent dish as always.

This is one of the most affordable yet high quality sushi place in town. The owner is so friendly and the food is good!! Will definitely go again.

Had my birthday dinner here. We were able to sit at the counter to watch the chef prepare the sushi in front of us. We had the tuna tataki, nigri selection, spider roll and ebi roll. We did order the scallops but it was not processed properly even though I did mention to the waitress that it was missing, in the end however we decided to remove it from our bill as we were full anyway. It was an enjoyable meal

5/5 service 5/5 cleanness and hygiene 5/5 food quality sashimi is very fresh and we tastes umami especially on those sea urchin. Friendly staff and chef. Chef told us the lovely story about the origin of this restaurants name “Gaijin” as the Japanese word as an “outsider”.

Beautifully crafted sushi. We had an amazing time trying the terrific tasting menu. Chefs and manager were very friendly and accommodating. They made it a great experience for a young child who now enjoys sushi even more.

The small storefront, upon entering, we discovered that we had been here many years ago. Since we arrived early and were the only customers, the service was exceptionally attentive. Because I really like salmon sashimi, we ordered salmon tartare, sashimi selection, dragon roll, and salmon aburi nigiri. The salmon was fresh and delicious, especially the aburi nigiri, which melted in the mouth. The brown rice tea complemented the meal perfectly, and the gentleman serving us kept refilling our teapot attentively. Overall, it was a good experience. For two people, it cost less than £100, which is relatively more expensive compared to other sushi restaurants in Birmingham.

Hands down one of the best sushi places you will find in Birmingham, and the price does reflect it. A recommendation for a celebration or even just a treat (but do expect to splurge a bit)! A booking is recommended to ensure you get a space. The menu has slightly changed to the one found online so please bare that in mind. Highly suggest ordering the Dragon Roll, definitely my favourite even though salmon is usually my winner. It's fantastic that you are able to see the sushi being prepared right in front of you, and the service is welcoming and friendly enough. Please also keep in mind that the ingredients are limited so may be sold out when you arrive (probably best to check when reserving/call beforehand); when we went, the urchin (I believe), sweet shrimp and scallops were sold out which was unfortunate. The only thing I wouldn't recommend is the Genmaicha green tea - it is very very bland and weak in flavour (compared to how it normally is). Also, they don't do a free refill which is fine, but when I ordered another pot, it seems that the same leaves were used as the tea was even more flavourless than the first pot. This was charged though as an extra £3.50. In total, our bill for a portion of flamed salmon nigiri, dragon roll, two portions of salmon nigiri and a small set, along with two pots of Genmaicha and sake + service charge came to just over £106. Definitely (much) pricier than your usual sushi meal, but again I see it for a celebration or a treat - and the quality does reflect it pretty well.

This restaurant is one of the best for me now. The food is delicious and absolutely perfect. I even noticed a difference in the structure of rice, it is perfectly cooked! Salmon bellies, guncans, rolls, mochi. Loved everything about this restaurant: atmosphere, chefs, food, menu choice. Thank you for your effort !

Wonderful experience. The sushi was top grade - super flavourful and fresh. It also came out very quickly. The service was fast, polite and effective. The drinks menu could use some work. Highlights were the: 1. Tempura crab salad 2. Yellowtail Carpaccio 3. Chefs Nigiri Selection (I like the flame grilled pieces the best) The atmosphere was a little quiet, even though we visited on a Saturday night. Would recommend the owners to do some more marketing to get people through the door on the weekend. Overall good experience and will return.

We eat here all the time, and is without a doubt our favourite sushi around. Not only is the quality extremely high, the chef and whole team and very accommodating of our dietary needs, and our preferences on what we like! We absolutely love it, our favourite and go to dinner, both eat in and at home. Gaijin, we love you.

Food was delicious 10 out of 10, watching the chefs work was a great experience and both were friendly, some of the nicest freshest sushi we have had really recommend the food! However, unfortunately let down by the service, the attitude from the moment we walked in from the waiter was very poor, rude, arrogant and aggressive at times made more awkward by the way he spoke to and interacted with the chefs in front of customers, We were really disappointed to have to pay a service charge for his poor service but had no choice.

Nice but expensive. £94 for two with one beer. Very good service.

Very cute and cosy restaurant. My boyfriend and I had a lovely table at the sushi bar and we could see the chef making sushi which was fun. The place has only 2 tables and 3 bar spots so very small but cute. The only downside is that you don’t have too much privacy. Also the food was very fresh and nice but overly priced as it was normal sushi and nothing innovative. But overall very good experience and the service was great.

Would have given this a 5 stars review based on food. Food quality was as good as one can expect for the price with variety of sushi, sashimi and other dishes. Atmosphere - location might be a little odd but the inside of the restaurant is good. Service: Relatively friendly staff - although feel a bit rushed. We felt rushed out at the end of the course. There were literally just the 2 of us in the restaurant at 2 pm, and we spent maybe 10 minutes catching up on life in general, we were going to leave soon anyway. However, the bartender said "there's one more surprise for you with the bill" and simply just gave us the bill without us asking. We would understand if you were busy or closing - but that was not the case. For a £200 bill, perhaps you could have afford to let us stay for 10-20 minutes after finishing the food? There was also a service charge included in the bill of course. As above, it would have been a 5 stars review if the service reflected that. I was thinking about returning the next week halfway through the course, but you managed to change my mind.

The ambience and atmosphere were interesting and intense, very warm and dim inside but still nice. I had the omakase set menu- the food was great, very tasty and prepared delicately. It was a fun journey. The chef is passionate about the food, but is not very talkative, very blunt. However, the service was a bit of a let down. When seated, we were not told any of the process, just passed the drink menu and left for 5-10mins. After attempting to order, we were let known that there were no non-alcoholic versions of the drinks. Why keep this on the menu? Similarly, my main quarrel was that I’m slightly confused why the tempura which was written on the menu was not given to was. This was quite disappointing as I was looking forward to the full experience. We did not have any chance to ask why, the service seemed not talkative or particularly friendly, making it intimidating to ask any questions. Getting a second drink seemed impossible as the waiter never once came over. While the food was good, the service and atmosphere was slightly disappointing.

Food is decent but not outstanding. Overpriced for the quality. Service is ok but nothing to write home about. Sushi passion is better value and quality in my opinion.

Cannot fault the service, the waitress was very attentive and helpful. Unfortunately, we have tried better sushi and not sure if I would give Gaijin another go. The sushi lacked flavour and was quite expensive compared to other places we’ve tried in Birmingham!

Had a very strange experience here. The food quality was expectedly outstanding, and very fresh. However at the start of our meal, we asked the staff member what he would recommend, and his response was ‘I don’t eat sushi’ - a bit odd really. I would also say the menu is horrendously over priced. £100 gets you pretty much a single plate of food. I realise the cost of ingredients is increasing but it didn’t feel worth the money we were charged. There was also zero atmosphere in the restaurant, it wasn’t something I usually think about but the ambiance was certainly lacking here. Wouldn’t return here, I’d suggest taking a trip to Sushi Passion instead.

I am writing to share feedback about our recent visit to your restaurant, which we chose to celebrate our daughter’s birthday. While we were very impressed with the quality of the food, our experience was unfortunately let down by the service we received from the gentleman waiting at our table. His attitude throughout the evening came across as disinterested and dismissive, which made us feel uncomfortable. Although he cleared some empty dishes, several were left on the table, leaving it quite cluttered. When my husband asked for tap water (as there were no large bottles available), the waiter rolled his eyes in response, which we found disrespectful. When my daughter’s boyfriend enquired about a non-alcoholic version of the yuzu drink, he simply stated that there was none and did not offer any alternatives until he was specifically asked what other options were available. As we are not fully familiar with some Japanese dishes and drinks, we had hoped for a little guidance or explanation. However, the waiter did not take the time to assist or engage. I also asked a few questions of genuine interest about the restaurant, but his replies were brief and monosyllabic, giving the impression that he was uninterested in interacting with us. What made this more disappointing was noticing that he appeared noticeably more polite and attentive with other guests. Although we thoroughly enjoyed the food, the poor service unfortunately ruined the overall ambience and left us feeling quite uncomfortable throughout the evening. We had hoped to visit the restaurant again in the future, but based on this experience, we will not be doing so.

Very disappointing experience. Service was extremely slow and understaffed. The sushi didn’t feel authentic, the rice was too sticky and soft, and overall quality was poor—I even changed my order from omakase to a cheaper platter because I lost confidence in the place. Wouldn’t recommend.