Kibou Cambridge

Decoration is very nice and instantly transform the restaurant into a different world. Volcano sushi rolls wins everyone’s heart for its bold flavour, and nicely mixed ingredients and texture. Fried chicken ramen was also delicious (recently the broth for this ramen has changed, prefer the old creamy/tonkotsu broth). Crème brûlée dessert with subtle sweetness is a good option to end the night.

KIBOU in Cambridge is gorgeous with the interiors thoughtfully done, a cherry blossom tree in the midst of service and nice Japanese vibes all around. The food is fresh and well presented. Wanted to try the wagyu but it was very expensive for a team dinner! Service was very slow and it isn't cheap either. There was a wedding dinner happening on the next table and seems like people drop in here for a special meal or celebration.

+2

Best sushi i’ve ever had!! And i’ve had a lot! Absolutely amazing atmosphere, food was phenomenal! Lovely staff, the only thing I’d say is that we felt a bit rushed and the tables are small but that’s being picky. Amazing! Definitely coming back!

+4

Amazing experience! The sushi was incredibly fresh and delicious, and everything we ordered was excellent. Highly recommend this place!

Some of the best food in Cambridge, really high quality ingredients and incredible tasting Japanese style food. I still dream after the yuzu cheesecake special and await the day they have it again.

I really enjoyed my visit to this restaurant! The atmosphere was vibrant, and the food and drinks were great, although slightly on the pricey side (which I expected). Service was good but a bit slow; it took longer than I expected for someone to take my order and check in on me. Recommended to outers, just suggest going when it's not too busy for a smoother experience. Overall, very good!

We've been here twice as a family, and we've always had great experiences. The service is always excellent, the portions are always very well sized — we usually expect smaller in Japanese restaurant so it's a nice surprise! — and while slightly pricey, we find it is well priced for the experience. Highly recommended.

+3

Cannot fault the food at all, some of the best sushi I have tasted! Wine selection was good as was cocktail menu which I also sampled. Waiter was attentive and offered suggestions, i considered dropping a star purely as every time I needed or wanted something I sought a waiter I was not asked during my meal if needed anything.. but that is me being overly picky! Atmosphere and ambiance was lovely and I would definitely recommend

Beautiful building, beautiful internal decor and delicious, authentic food. Upon entry we were greeted warmly by friendly staff and taken to our seats. Passing a stunning side room and through beautifully decorated corridor into another beautifuly decorated room. The staff were very kind, helpful and aware of allergens and dietary choices and helped us through the menu. Food arrived with allergen Pins in the gluten free dishes so there was no mistake of eating the wrong food. Food was freshly prepared and a good temperature and very full of flavour. Staff were attentive throughout. The toilets are up a few stairs but are as beautifully decorated as the rest of the building.

+6

Had the most exquisite experience here, one of the best I’ve ever had in Cambridge. I want to say a special thank you to Destiny (the waitress) for giving the best and most incredible service and making mine and my partner’s evening delightful. She is not only incredibly helpful, she’s entertaining and a pleasure to be around. The food was delicious, and not to mention the complimentary wasabi peas which were so lovely. The Japanese Whiskey was smooth, and also picked out by our lovely waitress Destiny. Thank you Kibou and the entire team for making it such a lovely evening. (I’d definitely recommend coming here for a date night, it’s truly gorgeous).

We went to Kibou for dinner and it was amazing. The sushi platter was sensational, we ordered Premium sharing platter and it had 10 pieces of sushi and 10 pieces of sashimi ( if i remember right ) we did have few sharing plates but they were a bit disappointing , the crispy wagyu was very nice.

Perfect experience for my birthday! The food blew us away - incredible, tasty and reasonably priced. The restaurant itself is stunning. I can’t wait to return soon! I personally loved the duck/pork/chicken bao buns, volcano roll & the dynamite prawns were SOOOO GOOD! Haven’t stopped thinking about it. 10/10 would highly recommend Kibou!

Vibey restaurant. Enjoyed the food and there were plenty of vegetarian options to choose from. A little on the expensive side but the service was very good looking after a party of 15 people.

Absolutely delicious! We spent around £80 for two people, so £40 each. We got a pork belly rice (doburi), sushi platter (moriawase) and two non alcoholic drinks. We left being very very full. They gave complementary still/sparking water and wasabi peas. The service was efficient and they were quite busy. The servers were very polite and answered our questions about portion size well. When the sushi platter arrived, the server offered to explain the dish. The drinks went very well with the food. Would definitely come back again!

From the moment we were seated in the beautiful red room, we were greeted by the friendliest and most genuine waitress. She made us feel welcomed and paid us a compliment that was warm and kind, and didn't feel at all as if she was trying flatter us for a better tip. The other 2 servers that assisted her with clearing the table were also friendly and you could see that the 2 ladies had a good and respectful relationship and worked well as a team. I also really appreciated that they had pillows that you could use for more back support. This is not customary in many restaurants and as a person with lower back problems, this made my dining experience 10 times better, as I did not feel uncomfortable in my seat. The restaurant offers complimentary wasabi peas and still or sparkling water. The sparkling water was a first for me, as I've not been at other retaurants which offered this option for free. The menu has a huge varitey of Japanese food, and you can clearly see that a lot of thought has been put in its creation. You can find something to cater for everyone, even people who do not like fish and are not fond of sushi. The food was DELICIOUS. They serve it as and when it's ready, with the first item being brought within 5 minutes of us ordering. This enhanced our experience as no one likes to wait forever for food, especially when they are hungry. The drinks selection is also amazing. We chose to go for the nonalcoholic cocktails on this occasion, but I liked that all the drinks had a twist and were not just the regular cocktails you could order at every bar. The ladies restroom was clean and smelled nice. The sinks are really beautiful. You can tell that every little interior design decision has been made carefully in this restaurant. Unfortunately, the men's restroom smelled quite bad, but it was clean. Sadly, we were full so we didn't take a look at the desserts menu. The atmosphere was lovely. I honestly don't remember if there was any music, but this is because I enjoyed being able to hear my conversation and not have to scream over other customers or loud music. We found the prices to be affordable for a fancy anniversary lunch. We paid around £86 inclusive of the service charge and had 5 dishes and 3 drinks. I highly recommend this establishment and suggest getting as many different dishes as you can so you have the experience of tasting as many of them as possible. I will make sure to visit their London location and if I am ever back in Cambridge, I will definitely eat here again. EDIT: I wish I knew our servers name. From reading other reviews I think it may have been Destiny. She had a beautiful black and white manicure. She truly knows what it means to work in hospitality and deserves to be praised, along with her colleagues.

This place has such a romantic atmosphere and is a perfect first date spot! The food was so so good,especially the miso soup which was the best miso soup i’ve ever had! I will definitely come back here.

Definitely worth a visit. Julien was great, with lots of tips and guidance on finding the right choice of cocktails and food. It was excellent all round. Will definitely recommend and go back again.

Beautiful place, delicious food. As someone who loves Asian food I’m always willing to try out new places and this one came recommended to me. Everything served was fresh, presented in a thoughtful manner and left me wanting more. Definitely one of the best places to go to if you enjoy Japanese style cuisines.

Amazing place for first time try. Amazing Attending and great recommendations. Pocket friendly as well. There is an underground pay parking Ambiant atmosphere

We went to Kibou to celebrate our 8th anniversary, and overall it was a really memorable experience. From the start, the food was excellent . we ordered a rich selection of sushi, and everything was fresh, well prepared, and full of flavour. You can really tell there’s care and quality behind the menu. At the start of dinner, I had mentioned that I can’t properly digest red peppers, and Rashmita made sure the kitchen was informed so none were included in our chef’s choice sushi order, a detail I really appreciated. Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well that day. Even though I was sick, I still wanted to go out because the occasion was important to us. As the evening went on, my condition worsened and I eventually couldn’t stay at the restaurant anymore. I asked our waitress to pack our last meal which did not exit the kitchen yet. over to check if everything was alright and asked whether there were any issues with the food or the restaurant. I explained to our waitress, Rashmita, that my stomach issues were unrelated to the food and shared the whole situation with her. She was incredibly understanding and thoughtful throughout. Before we left, she surprised us by offering a slice of chocolate cake to take home, so we could still celebrate our anniversary once I was feeling better. It was such a kind and personal gesture. Great food, attentive service, and genuinely caring staff. Kibou made a difficult evening feel special nonetheless, and we’ll definitely be back. 💛🍣

Decided to bring my girlfriend here for valentines, we spent over £100 between two people for us to be sat in the corner of the room cramped up on a wobbly table.The servers were doing the bare minimum, rushing us to order and trying to rush us out. I understand Valentines is busy but when you’re spending over £100 i would at least expect to not have to ask the waitress 3 times for some water. Other than the poor service, the food was fantastic and the general atmosphere of the restaurant was amazing.

We had a great experience at this restaurant. The food was really good, and our waitress, Sulis, was absolutely amazing — very quick, attentive, polite, and efficient. She really made the evening even better. My partner also received a free drink and a slice of cake for his birthday, which was such a thoughtful touch. We really appreciated it and will definitely be back!

Had one of the best dining experience in a long long while because we had literally the best most competent waitress. Rashmi (i dont know if that is how you spell it) was incredibly kind and helpful and patient. We were a party of 6 and i have allergies. She was so careful to note down my allergies and ensure i could eat everything i ordered safely. But not only that. She was quick to remove things off the table smoothly (anticipating any needs we had. Including bringing us gluten free soy sauce) and always smiling and genuinely caring. I have not had a dining experience like this in a long time.. Well done kibou for hiring her. She was absolutely amazing. Please make sure she is rewarded for going above and betond in. her work.

Good food, great service and nice atmosphere. Went there for a birthday. The place was a lot bigger than we expected, and the ambience was nice. The service staff were quite nice too, especially when we inadvertently made a mess. We ordered chef's nigiri selection, chicken shoyu noodle soup, sesame prawn bun and kids chicken Bento box. The noodle soup felt a bit too salty and soggy, but the other dishes were good. They even brought a slice of cake in the end for the birthday girl! We went in with the expectation that it was a slightly pricey place, so the menu prices felt all right. Yet there was a 12.5% service charge at the end, that left a bad taste.

+4

Excellent Teishoku Set Menu, highly recommend trying this for lunch as we did for my wife's birthday at her request. Lovely surroundings altho it has hard floorings. The music is not Japanese and definitely not to my taste (but that's just me!). Something gentle and Japanese would be great! A birthday candle on a slice of chocolate pudding was an extra bonus! The staff even found my wife's earing!

+6

Very good. The server we had was awesome and did some good recommendations. We did have an issue where we were told we get 2 tiger prawns for the special and only got 1 and that was the servers mistake so gave us an extra as a sign of good will! But £12 a pop. Not worth it. Everuthing else was good execpt the snow crab rolls was too mayo-y and ruined the delicate flavour of the snow crab (couldn't taste it). Quite pricey might be better to just go for ramen and then have some sushi on the side than ball out on just sushi. We spent about £70 each and weren't full. Defo an experience rather than eating to get full.

+4

Drinks, the eel unagi and decorations were absolutely amazing. Unfortunately the ramen was ok, BUT it was cooked perfectly nothing overdone/undercooked. The tofu in the tofu ramen didn't have flavour at all apart from the what it was coated with which sank in the broth anyway. Also make sure to book it was very busy dinner time on a Saturday. We were trying to savour our drinks as our mains came 50mins after the drinks arrived we weren't in any rush thankfully but we were hungry watching people next to us who arrived after us get their sushi plates. I do think we were the one exception of the lateness that night. But I would recommend the sushi dishes as they looked fantastic and the eel unagi we had was superb.

+1

We were there for Valentine’s Day — the atmosphere was amazing! It’s really beautiful and the staff are nice. We ordered a mixed premium sushi plate, but not everything was to my taste. The prawns were really delicious, though.

Nice and delicious food, we made reservations and arrived around 3pm, but we were told us that we can’t choose the lunch menu because “more then 4 people” We felt so disappointed, I never think 5 people is the reason we can’t choose lunch menu, so ridiculous. Rather than this, the food and service were ok. So for those who like to come, if you are more than 4 people, better to book separate tables for lunch menu. In fact, refer to their menu, it NEVER mentioned “no lunch menu if more than 4 people”

Very cool place, and decent food. The egg in my ramen was to die for! ❣️😍 Vegeterian ramen ok, but not the best I've eaten, not even in the top 5 (but I've eaten a lot of them in the whole world, so I'm very demanding) - could use a bit more spice, more sour, more umami..., sushi was tasty. Great service!

Almost Perfect The food was authentic and the service was genuinely good. Nice environment to seat. Everything was perfect except some of the wheat related items. It was confirmed from the staff that the panko was from Japan. While the wheat that making the Raman was not originated from the UK. At least the staff understood my question and told me about the source of the wheat flour. As soon as the wheat was not from the EU or the UK, or qualified as organic, it's very likely that you are eating GMO wheat. Apparently the EU bans GMO food. Because of the Brexit, it important to confirm the food source. Food safety first.

Food was beautifully presented. Sashimi was fresh and melted in your mouth. The Volcano roll and Dynamite prawns were slight too salty but did taste good. Good portions and great service.

Disappointed. Having looked at the reviews we expected a lot more from this place. The ramen we ordered was mediocre, I would say the soup base on the one I got (chicken) was way too salty. The chicken katsu curry was ok, a little bland but ok. The sashimi was a lot better. The waiting staff were attentive. However, on the way out not one person (other than the waitress for our table) said thank you... I thought that spending more would get you a little more courtesy?

The decorations are beautiful inside and the service is fast. Unfortunately, ramen is just ok. Wouldn’t travel 40 minutes just for the ramen. The seared scallops were tasty and fresh, definitely recommend this.

Nice place with good lighting and atmosphere. Food was OK but not great.... generally it bit too sweet and quite heavily fried in taste. We had the house special sushi and the whole sushi roll was fried - in fairness it did state that on the menu but it made the ingredients of sushi rice, salmon and avocado merge together in an unpleasant texture. We also had the wagyu beef which was expensive but it didn't look as it appeared on the website - on the website it was seared and had crispy onions, whereas neither were evident in our dish. Overall the food was OK but it's quite an expensive restaurant so we hoped it would be better.

Perfect representation of style over substance…Pretty enough restaurant with nicely presented food and cocktails. However the time between dishes really affected my experience and nothing felt cohesive. With sushi taking forever, when it did come it was seriously lacking in every aspect. The sushi rice used for rolls and nigiri might aswell have been wall paste, it was so mushy. Service for such a highly praised restaurant was also poor, the menu was not explained, nor was the dishes or the different sushi on my platter. In a very dark room some explanation to what I’m eating would be appreciated. They also turn off music before closing which ruins the atmosphere and gives an impression that they want customers to leave quickly. Can definitely say I would not return.

We visited today and left feeling quite disappointed, which is a shame because the restaurant itself is beautifully decorated and the staff were polite and apologetic. Unfortunately, there were several service and quality issues during our visit. The takoyaki (octopus balls) arrived warm on the outside but freezing cold inside. To their credit, staff apologised, replaced the dish, and removed it from the bill, which we appreciated. However, this should not have reached the table in the first place, especially at this price point. We also ordered drinks together with our food, but they never arrived. Only after we asked did staff realise the drinks had not been put through. By the time they finally came, we had almost finished our meal, and my child could not even enjoy her hot chocolate as it arrived too late and too hot. Another major issue was dietary attention. I clearly informed the staff that we do not eat raw fish and that my child cannot eat spicy food, and asked to be reminded if any dishes contained spice. Despite this, multiple items arrived with chilli sauce (including bao buns and takoyaki), which meant my child could not eat much of the food. While the staff were polite and apologetic, the overall experience did not match the 12.5% service charge or the premium pricing. Mistakes can happen, but forgotten drinks, improperly heated food, and not listening to dietary requests all in one visit is disappointing. Lovely atmosphere and presentation, but the service attentiveness and kitchen consistency need improvement to match the price level.

Honestly, a huge disappointment. We came here with very high expectations to enjoy sushi, only to find out that almost the entire menu contains alcohol. The so-called halal options are limited to only 5 items, which is honestly embarrassing for such a fancy place with multiple branches. We expected much better from a restaurant that presents itself as high-end and high-quality. Even the few halal options available were not very tasty, and the prices were extremely high for what was offered. My rating is 1. For anyone looking for halal food: I do not recommend this place at all. None of the sushi is halal due to alcohol being used in the ingredients, so you simply can’t eat most of the menu. Please take this into consideration before visiting.

I was beyond excited to try KIBOU. Having tried various sushi restaurants, I had a good feeling. However, the food I was presented with was nothing short of disappointing. The dynamite prawns had no kick or fire. Although fairly enjoyable, I could tell this wasn’t a fresh product. this was a highlight… The surf and turf roll with wagyu felt outrageously overpriced for the condition it was served. The wagyu was small rectangular strips, coated in a rather nasty sauce atop a unfavourable cut of salmon. I could only have half before my disappointment and lack of interest took over my want to finish a meal I paid a premium for. The decor was okay…fake flowers and LED lights. It felt like KIBOU had a handbook to making a modern-popular restaurant, but skimmed a few chapters whilst reading, Aside from a lovely server, who was so lovely and caring towards our service, and a nice collection of staff; I wish I had kept KIBOU a “want to go”.

Kibu Cambridge's food is undeniably tasty, ( and i would personally recommend the chicken katsu curry) but the awful service completely ruined our evening. Despite having a reservation, they messed up and shifted our booking from 6:30 PM to a ridiculously late 9:15 PM. When we finally got there, they stuck us at the worst table in the corner – wobbly and cramped. The staff seemed more interested in rushing us out than providing a pleasant dining experience. It felt like they were doing everything to flip the table as quickly as possible and when your paying over £100 for two people this is ridiculous. If you're looking for a relaxing night out, Kibu Cambridge is definitely not the place.