Review Iori Japanese Restaurant - Canberra

Definitely recommend to anyone in Canberra! The service was beyond amazing and the staff and chef are all super friendly and eager to serve! It was my sons birthday and he got a complimentary drink and was sung happy birthday with his desert which made his day! Hands down the best restaurant I've eaten at. Thank you all so much for making my sons birthday so special ❤️

I have been regular recently and brought my friends and colleagues to recommend their food. However, today’s visit was a bit disappointing. Their sashimi was awesome as always, BUT sushi and roll were absolutely below the average which made me embrrassed to my friends. The rice of roll and sushi was hard and not balanced with sushi in my mouth. Anyway, their customer service is always good and respectful.

One of the best Japanese experiences I've had. The food was simple and incredibly delicate with huge flavour. Great sake selection as well!

Had a birthday dinner yesterday. It offers great meal, especially miso-based hotpot sets. Seafood is fresh and flavorful, a warm and cozy place to celebrate something. Great and polite staff. Would visit again.

Delicious traditional Japanese food, we took advantage of a special bento box deal and it was well worth it to add an extra plate of sashimi on the meal, so much food and left feeling very full and satisfied!

Really delicious Bento boxes and sashimi. Took advantage of the Facebook special and was so full after. Keen to come back and try more of the menu.

Food was excellent. Service was horrible, we had a booking for 6:45, we were rushed since we sat down. We were asked 3 times within 5 minutes if we were done with the starters and wanted to get on the mains, and we said not yet (i still had half my plate full). I hadn't even finished my starter, that someone came out with my main. We had the last table on the venue, right in front of the kitchen, so could hear the chef (I assume owner) yelling to his staff for the whole hour. I understand that business is slow due to covid, but you shouldn't take bookings after 6:30 if you want them out before 8pm. We went in for a good experience, and left full but feeling like we hadn't had time to enjoy the different courses, nor properly finish our drinks.

You pay for the dining experience here not the food. Sorry to be honest. But your better of walking around and finding a local japanese place that sells the same foods just cheaper wayyyy cheaper. - quite disappointed with price and the portions i got (sashimi) Atleast customer service is great.

Authentic Japanese dining experience at a very reasonable price. Lots of love and passion put into the dishes and service.

We celebrated Chinese Valentine’s Day here. Fortunately we have made a reservation, it was so busy during lunch time. There are various lunch sets to choose from, vegetarian friendly as well. Really authentic and traditional Japanese food. Recommend!

Food was a bit pricey but it’s worth the money. Everything we ordered was soooo delicious! 🤤 <br/>I super love their mochi green tea ice cream ah I could eat 3 of them in one sitting 😋<br/>One of the best Japanese places in Canberra- highly recommend!

Went with hubby for a lunch. They made amazing lunch sets!! Value for money as well and I’m sure you would be pretty full afterwards. It was packed after 10 mins so glad we got a table. Defiantly would love to go back when I go back to Canberra.

Iori is still very popular as I remembered. I had lots of good memory associated with that place. <br/><br/>Classic Japanese decor with few sushi bar seats. Staff are friendly, during super busy hours, you might need to remind them for small things. <br/><br/>There are few different ways to enjoy their food. You can choose from banquet to a la cart, bento box and meal set. The wagyu beef set and hot pot are always my personal favourite. <br/><br/>The meal set was not cheap, but you could enjoy different kind of food in one set, such as sashimi, sushi roll, tempura, hot pot...... and actually quite fulfilling. <br/>Now they are offering Japanese hot pot set which is limited and includes some entree dishes, one large hot pot (includes meat, seafood, tofu, vegetables etc) to share and dessert. Minimum order of 2pp and cost $46ish/pp. It was in good value and perfect for cold weather. <br/><br/>The price for the food is getting higher in recent years. My standards are getting higher as well ( live in Melbourne now). But Iori will always my go to place for Japanese food in Canberra. <br/><br/>

Style and no substance - enter at your own peril. <br/><br/>Walking into the traditional Japanese bar room, you could be forgiven for getting excited at the prospect of an authentic Japanese dining experience. <br/><br/>The waiters, waitresses, and kitchen staff are dressed in kimonos and the decor is lovely.<br/><br/>But it all stops, crashes, and burns at the food. Dry and clumpy rice, raw fish that is way past its best before date, and cold tempura is all I'll remember of my time here. <br/><br/>At least the sake is good...

After a few years, I finally managed to find the opportunity to head back here. Lunch with my wife. Been wanting to bring her here since she moved to Canberra 5 years ago. She was impressed with the decor too.<br/><br/>We ordered the Samurai Beef and GoShoku promo. Loved the wide variety of elements in the 2 items, giving us a good taste of their menu. Wagyu beef, teriyaki chicken, and the salmon bowl was very yummy! Tempura and karaage were ok, though they could have been a tad saltier. Nice and crispy though. Salmon sashimi was ok, not mind-blowing. Pork katsu was crispy but dry. Probably a bit worse than Kokoro's pork katsu. Udon noodle soup was tasty but the udon was overcooked - too soggy. Presentation was nice.<br/><br/>Having said that, we still enjoyed our lunch a lot and were so full we couldn't go for desserts. My wife built up a good appetitie from the good-looking food and was glad we came. Just over $30 for 2 of us to leave full and satisfied - great deal! The full house meant they were still popular with locals in the area!<br/><br/>Dinner is a bit dearer and was a bit hard to justify but lunch is definitely worth it!<br/><br/>Having been around Japan, I dare say this is Canberra's best Japanese restaurant. Probably not up there with the best in Sydney and Melbourne but this would be my go-to for a jap fix in CBR.<br/><br/>Still no decent ramen joint around though... :(

Authentic Japanese style dinner with privacy from outside - Beautifully decorated with Japanese waitress and waiters. One of the best Japanese restaurant - Perfectly displayed food and savory sashimi, meat and vegetables. Staffs are so friendly and realised it's our anniversary - who offered us a special delicacy. It was so delicious! Staff was very attentive and thoughtful. No complain at all! Definitely re-revisit in the future! Thanks very much Iori!

Very authentic Japanese restaurant. Reminded us of several places we went to in Japan. The gyozas were small but flavourful and served fried not steamed. The steak tataki was very good, and the dragon roll is tasty. The staff are excellent. I'd very happily return.

The place is a bit run down but authentic. I personally have been to Japan many times and I got the same vibe here as if I am in Japan but slightly dirty. The food was westernised average like the rest of Canberra, and the sashimi has no real taste that I expected. I will come back for the bento box minus sashimi, sushi or nigiri.

The Japanese food here is adequate from a Canberra perspective, but it is not very authentic. None of the staff are Japanese, no one knew anything about the sakes on the menu or their associated flavours, a waitress spilt soy sauce all over my grey jumper (which was an accident, but they did not offer any compensation or even anything off the $380 bill we racked up), and the bento box was pretty low quality. I would skip this establishment.

$15 pp for lunch.You could experience a typical Japanese way to dine out.Lunch menu includes Samurai beef and samurai chicken and you can add a soup which is only 50 cents.

Great atmosphere and service. A little gem in the heart of Civic. Lighting is a little dim for comfort and could take a while to get adjusted. A bit of a maze to get through to the dining area.

Consistent service. Consistently good food. Iori is famous for their simple fresh sashimi that is prepared by chef with great knife skills. <br/><br/>It has good ambience too. <br/><br/>The price can be on the high side.

The restaurant decorations was amazing they have a big samurai infront of their restaurant and the staffs were dress in kimono which created a good vibe. The food was good especially their sashimi. The sashimi was serve with generous portions and good quality. You can tell that the chef has a very good knife skill. <br/><br/>Ps. Do not order a umeshu cocktail it taste horrible undrinkable waste of money

Fresh sashimi, well presented food, attentive service, nice environment. Great green tea and sesame ice-cream. <br/><br/>Also like to have the bento lunch box to have a lunch catch up with friends.

Excellent service, good interior decor, fairy tasty food. <br/>My only problem is that the sashimi is really thin cuts. Which doesn't feel quite right. Our 38 dollar sashimi platter only had 3 types of fish-salmon(70%), tuna and one white fish. Well..for that money I expect more varieties.

They only provide bento at lunch time and dishes at dinner time. The sashimi here is really nice. I like the other share dishes here too....

Tasmanian salmon don for the win. Fresh salmon sashimi with juicy salmon roe beads on a bed of sushi rice, shredded nori, pickled ginger. The regular sashimi option here is not nearly so fresh and sometimes marred with the overpowering lemon slices. Edo senshoku Zen box is a reliable option if you're after variety. It can't compete with sushi in Sydney but Iori is a good regular for a slightly lavish lunch in the city

The sashimi is very nice. The sushi was alright. We had shabushabu there and it wasn't too bad. The service is warm and Japanese style. It's a bit expensive though

The restaurant is styled similarly to many Japanese restaurants in Japan. Nothing to fancy but the food is fantastic which is the main thing. Fantastic food with great flavours and generous portions. Only negative is the price with $20-30 for a bento box making a fairly expensive lunch.

Awesome fresh food. Had the salad with fresh sashimi. Very tasty and generous portion. <br/>The decoration inside is nice and very traditional Japanese style. Because i was there on myself so i sit by the bar, You can overlook the kitchen and chefs are cheerful when they works. <br/>Staff are very friendly. Very pleasant experience. Would definitely come again on the next visit to canberra.

Great tasting food, and wonderful service from the staff. The restaurant has decor that give the place a pleasant and homely atmosphere, the food is delicious and proper - you can tell that good quality products are being used. The only downside is that the food is a little pricey and whilst I found it quite filling, some others at the table did not. It's not a lunch you can go out and have, then skip dinner. <br/><br/>I would recommend the bento boxes for lunch, since they come with a variety of elements with fresh ingredients and the mix of hot and cold foods is pleasant and enjoyable.

Went out for a work function and we decided to get a bit of everything. All seven of us were very happy with the food and there was nothing left, except maybe a couple of Edamames. Service was spot on but is expensive . we will be back

Worst Japanese meal I had in Canberra. Sushi was soggy, too much vinegar applied to flavor the rice. Sushi from food court or sushi train outlet can beat their sushi easy!

Fresh Tasmanian Salmon delicious platter friendly & great services<br/>Thoroughly enjoyed the green tea mousse dessert

What a lovely evening! Beautiful food, attentive service and lovely decor! We left very full and felt that the portion sizes were just right. While it is a bit pricey, you get the quality that you pay for. Also, wine list is reasonably priced. We were very impressed.

For the price the food, portion sizes, service and decor is very poor. Not recommended.

Portion size is way too small, food is only ok. Not worth it for the price paid.<br/>The portion needs to be at least doubled!

It used to be the only authentic Japanese restaurant in ACT (non-tepanyaki) but food has always been a hit or miss. Once in a while I would go for sashimi (which served in ridiculous size-but preferable ambience over Coo next door). I don't recommend Miyabi Bento or tonkatsu variation. Bento looks impressive but it stops there. Tonkatsu is consistantly overfried and dry (3 different occasions). Ever since KA and Oishi are open, I never look back. Maybe one day we'll have something like Azumi in Sydney.

We have eaten here several times and enjoyed our evening. But tonight the mains arrived with the entrees, had to ask several times for the water. They brought out the mains twice while we were eating the mains; and when the mains finally arrived when they should have originally, they were the re-heated ones brought to the table the first time. Simon then put the blame on us for not telling the wait staff the order we wanted our entree & main courses served.

Awesome. Ths place is absolutely awesome. I went to Canberra to visit my friends last week and was brought to this place by one friend.<br/>As a person who lives in Melboune I have tried many good Japanese restaurants(including Shoya). But this restaurant is definitely one of the best Japanese restaurants I have been to. 100% Japanese chief, traditional Japanese taste, not to mentioed the staffs are very friendly.<br/>Unfortunately there is no such a Japanese restaurant in Melbourne, otherwise I would love to go every week!<br/>If you are going there, definately try one of the bowls (or pots), will blow you away!

I did not expect.price is expensive food is small and salty. Service: I naver got this service same like Coo. I really recommend; please do not go this restaurant.

I like the food but don't like that Caucasian Waiter!. I'm not racist at all and my husband who is Australian caucasian also agrees with me...there is only 1 Caucasian waiter who works in Iori and such a smart ass! He thinks he is Jap and knows everything about Japanese cuisine or whatever Japanese. He needs to get his face checked. He was very rude and I think the owner should consider letting him go before he chases customers out.<br/><br/>Firstly, I asked him for Shichimi Togarashi which is 7 spice pepper...he brought it over and commented "that I don't need to have so much", "do I know that the soup already included the pepper?" "and that it will be too spicy!" in a sarcastic tone! <br/><br/>I was thinking to myself, I can speak Japanese you stupid sarcastic bastard...you don't have to tell me how much pepper I should have. Secondly, he didn't swipe my partners card properly and immediately announced to the restaurant that his bank has no money when there was money in it. He not only embarrassed us but doesn't know how to present himself as a waiter. If he was polite he should have said "It didn't go through, would you like me to try it again."<br/><br/>What a loser!!!!!!... I like the food except I think the portion of the soup in the hotpot was a disgrace. If you go to Melbourne or Sydney, you get good portions, flavours and service compared to this supposedly top Jap restaurant. <br/><br/>Get rid of that Caucasian waiter!!! He is no good for the restaurant!

It's all changed! You now have to order food & drinks at the door and pay cash before you can sit. Menu all changed too, such a pity as the previous restaurant was very special. The food is still good, and very cheap too - but I am still gutted that the restaurant has changed. 4 people for lunch cost $60

Good stuff. Service can be very strange, but only if the smarmy white guy or the stoner chick give it a go. The actual Japanese people are carefully attentive.<br/><br/>Food is excellent. Well presented, great range of flavours and lots of unusual choices.<br/><br/>Atmosphere is lovely, especially if you can get a seat on the floor.<br/><br/>It's a pretty traditional menu, with plenty of eel and tofu and suchlike. If you want pseudo-Japanese they will give you something that seems less challenging. But if that's what you want, go to a foodhall sushi bar and get a California Roll.

Iori has been around for 14 years and has featured previously in Canberra’s Top Restaurant lists. Service is professional and personal. Director Mamoru is ‘hands on’ and friendly and chats with diners. He assured me that he tries to be as flexible as possible. This was true as we were able to swap the Miso Soup in the Ninja Banquet for Nasu Dengaku – Eggplant. While the banquets (starting at $40 per person) are a delicious and easy option that let groups of at least four, try a range of dishes, like all banquets, you end up with way more food than you might otherwise order (making it hard not to overeat) and you may not try the most delicious options. I was told by xxx that it is possible to order a banquet for four to share between more people, which could be a good solution, but an alternative to a banquet that still allows everyone to try a variety, but to also stay comfortable, is to order specific dishes and share. The best dishes from the Ninja banquet were the : Seaweed Salad Su

Lunch time at Iori is quite a bargain compared to their dinner prices. Most bentos are $15 and there are many options including sushi, and options such as teriyaki chicken etc or udon sets

I will definitely go back to Iori, if only for special occasions. It is not the type of Japanese restaurant that we have in QLD (ie. affordable, Sushi-bar type meals), but the fact that there are only about 4 authentic Japanese (not Korean-Japanese or Chinese-Japanese) restaurants here in ACT, I'm glad to add this on my To-take-visitors-to list of restaurants :)

It is located in the heart of Canberra CBD, but due to its non-extravagant outward appearance, you can potentially miss it. However, it is a very popular destination during lunch (or even dinner!) time so it is recommended that you make a booking to avoid disappointment. I reckon that Iori is one of the best and most authentic Japanese res