Review Kobe Jones - Sydney

We booked in for this summer seafood for 2 from groupon, and it is an unforgettable experience. Service is really great. Waitresses are all Asian girls, and work so fast with pretty smile on the face. The food are impressive, rich in flavor and creative in combination. Especially enjoyed the kingfish sashimi. My husband and I agreed that's the hightlight of the menu. The lobster tail is quite big, and cooked on a hot stone in front of us, and that caught attention of several people dining there. Will recommend.

The food and service was worth the price (with a Groupon voucher). The environment is pretty romantic with blue and red light, so can be a good place for dating. The service really depended on the staff who served you. Because we had 11-course meal, and the Asian-look staff always introduced the dishes when she served us. But when it was other staff who gave us the dish, they just put the plate down without any explanation.

We had purchased the Groupon Offer for the 10 Course Degustation with Cocktail Upgrade for $174 for two people. We were not disappointed! I am rating at 5 stars because of the value for money in the Groupon deal for what is normally $340. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. The wait-staff were pleasant and explained each course as it was brought out. Cocktails start at $20, however the wine menu was a lot more than your average restaurant starting at $69 for a bottle. We enjoyed views of Darling Harbour with the fresh breeze.

Dishes here are designed to be shared. Their menu is extensive offering sushi, sashmi, seafood, meats, banquets and other modern Japanese dishes. The restaurant itself is very open with a nice view overlooking the harbour. Just note you may need to eat a little quicker and bring a cardigan if there's a breeze. There's lots of set menus available but they're definitely on the pricier side (and many banquets have a minimum of 3 people). Because of this we decided to order individual dishes including seafood which you cook at the table on a hot rock (included kingfish, tuna, salmon, scallops, mushrooms, asparagus, rich butter for cooking and 3 sauces - ponzu, seaweed, mayo), teriyaki chicken (tasty, sauce was thin/runny - which was fine, just different) and gin and tonic oysters (I love oysters but these were just average - maybe it's seasonal). We tried a few cocktails 'lost in translation', 'Tokyo slipper' and 'sunset' - I liked the latter two because they were a bit more tropical with pineapple juice. Lastly we had desserts of chocolate fondant (yummy! Rich!) and their twist on sticky date pudding.

Great dining experience. $$$. Waterfront venue, great service. Excellent for a special occasion. You may want to bring something warm as it may get cold at night if you sit outside. The heaters might be too powerful so it gets too hot if you sit close to it.

Excellent view of the water, especially with the low angle sun. Quiet, good for low talking. Attentive non-obtrusive service. Great food. The number 1 special was very special as usual. The steak was very tasty and melt-in-mouthy, minimal chewing required. The chocolate lava was so dark that not even light could escape. The Kimi To Boku cocktail was well sized and coloured perfectly for romanticism.

My boyfriend took me here for a surprise bday dinner. It was a great experience with well trained chefs giving you a spectacular show and nice views of the harbour. The lobster was cooked so great, no faults given.

Got lunch special bento boxes. Friendly staffs but wait a long time for some raw fish... little bit pricey for small and average food. Too much butter and cheese for seafood bento overpowered the fresh fish taste.

Average at best and pricey, if you want good Japanese food rather try Sokyo, streets ahead the service was also average and no tips allowed only cash? Not so good

In fickle ol’ Sydney-town many restaurants come and go, but some survive and thrive, weaving their way into the very fabric of the place.Kobe Jones has been putting the fire into date night for the last fifteen years, using their Flaming Number One Special ($22.50/2 pieces). Sparked up tableside, these one-bite fireballs have been on the menu since 2010, when I first dined at their sister restaurant, Wharf Teppanyaki, where they are made on the teppanyaki grill. Smothered in Kobe Jones’ special sauce with a contrasting splash of soy glaze, they contain crab salad and avocado, wrapped up in nori and hiramasa kingfish. Against a Tokyo Slipper ($19.99) – an accessible Midori-based cocktail garnished with yuzu (Japanese citrus) sorbet – they’re a good way to...

unfortunately the food was expensive, bland, small in portion sizes and the service was terrible. there were portable fans that was blowing in our faces and we weren't allowed to move the chairs at the table, we asked to move the fan however they did not do so either. it was a uncomfortable experience.

I have been to Kobe Jones a few times and used to really enjoy the food and service there. The last few times I went and noticed the quality of food and service has deteriorated. One of the guests in my party had an allergy and they still served food the guest was allergic and blamed the guest for not telling them... If you have any food allergy that’s the first thing you tell a restaurant...

Spectacular location and view. Good service, though a bit too eager to clean up plates before you have even finished (pretty common these days I find, either there's a plate shortage in town or they are trying to rush you on to maximise turnover). Strange fusion of European and Japanese cuisine that leaves your palate confused and your stomach queasy. I admire the creativity, but I think they should just choose one cuisine and do it really well - exquisite sashimi is great by itself, not drowned in a marinade like ceviche.

Born in Japan and raised in Australia, meet Kobe Jones.  Kobe is the city in central Japan where the world-famous wagyu beef originates from and Jones is obviously a common western surname; together they embody the finest of Japanese food culture with a Californian twist.  Alongside this culinary philosophy, Kobe Jones offers a stunning waterfront setting in the heart of King Street Wharf, Darling Harbour.

Had the 10 course degustation with my husband last weekend. Food was average. Thought it was overpriced for the inclusions but considering where it's situated I guess you're paying for the view really. The poke bowl salad that was served was way too salty we couldn't eat it. The service was friendly though. The waitress that served us was very friendly and attentive.

This was nice not amazing but I would go back<br/>It’s no Ebisu or Kisume the service was a little slow and it wasn’t busy it has a great setting in darling harbour<br/>

Was at Kobe Jones last night for dinner for 4 on a groupin voucher on the Autumn menu. I havent been here for several years but returned as the others we were dining with had insisted they wanted to try it. I’m not sure if it was just an off night, but the restaurant was about 1/4 busy and yet we couldn’t get decent service. We were seated when we arrived asked for water preference then left for about 20 minutes without anyone coming up to our table. I had to actually wave down a waitress to order drinks, the attitude was almost like well you are on a groupon you don’t need any service you have alreay paid. We didn’t receive any introduction to the menu they just waited for another 20 minutes and started bringing out the food. The wagyu as i remember it was the best but last night it tasted frozen and watery. Nothing really surprised us and most options were deep fried, I am sorry to say but we won’t be returning, i was hopeful that my second experience after several years would be better but I was dramatically disappointed.

Ordered: <br/>1. Strawberry pannacotta shots - it was good, not too much milky taste which is what I liked about it<br/>2. Alaskan crab - really delicious, cooked really well<br/>3. Various rolls -their rolls are fresh and taste good <br/><br/>Will I go back: yes

Overall 4.5 out of 5! We absolutely loved our time here. The staff were super friendly and accommodating. I'm not going to lie it is definitely pricey but certain dishes were worth it! Our favourite dish was the flaming no1 special and the Hokkaido horenso scallops.<br/>The panacotta was silky smooth and the green tea creme brulee was subtle and beautiful! You could slightly taste the lighter fluid on top though. Would definitly come back

I dined with my husband and another couple who we invited to celebrate their recent engagement.    On entering the restaurant you are greeted by an extremely loud waiter yelling some Japanese   greeting at you. If you then go and have a pre-dinner drink in the lounge area near the restaurant entrance you are constantly having your quiet conversation interrupted with this continual loud greeting being yelled at customers entering the restaurant.    In addition to this the music was loud it was hard to have a conversation whilst having a pre-dinner drink in the lounge.    We moved onto our table for dinner and ordered drinks and our food - drinks were reasonably quick to arrive but our food was very slow.     Entree's arrived and they were very nice.    With our main course 3 of the meals arrived but the 4th meal did not arrive so we asked the waitress about the meal only to be told it was coming from the other kitchen.     We waited about half an hour for this meal to come, which by the way was a $89- hot rock dish.    We had also ordered 2 side dishes which did not arrive. We informed the waitress but still after 10 minutes they were not delivered.     We cancelled the side dishes but then one of them was delivered and we were told that there would be no charge, By this time all the meals had been eaten and no one wanted the side dish.     We decided to go else where for coffee.    The staff were not very attentive and as this is an expensive restaurant it was very disappointing.     We will not be returning to this restaurant.

Nice location near King Street Wharf but was an extremely disappointing night - most of the food was quite bland in the ‘Nikko’ set menu considering the price and the sashimi platter was not the best. Was also incorrectly charged an extra $300 at first despite their advertising of the March madness 50% discount (luckily we pointed out the error to the manager) but in general the service and food was not worthwhile at all 🤧

I can't believe that how the food terrible is in this restaurant. $200 include 3 drinks way toooooo expensive and the food so plain and not thing is Japanese food unless the miso soup. I won't never ever go back again!!!!!

This dimly lit restaurant with harbour views is a great “special occasion” venue. Service is prompt and every dish we ordered was so gooooood! Pricing wise is expensive however I managed to go there with a 50% discount. <br/><br/>Menu highlights: flaming number one special, hokkaido horenso (scallops), miso black cod

When Kobe jones first opened, I used to come here all the time with my family, friends and work colleagues (worked close by) but that was so long ago and wig mum who now lives overseas longing to try the volcano roll again, we came here today for lunch.<br/><br/>Luckily I booked through Dimmi 50% off food discount as the prices since I first left has literally doubled if not more. Since we were here for lunch, we ordered their volcano roll, spider roll and tried crab croquettes. <br/><br/>Food overall was okay, for the price you pay you think they would roll the sushi properly, but the rolls were falling apart. As we were the only ones there initially, the wait for the food wasn’t too long but even with the friendly service, I don’t think we will ever be back.

Kobe Jones is an extremely overpriced modern Japanese restaurant. Located in Darling Harbour, the open-air restaurant offers some scintillating view of the harbour but outrageously insipid Japanese fare.<br/><br/>I ordered three dishes: adegashi tofu, king prawn tempura and Californian Lava Roll. First, the adegashi tofu ($14), “silken” tofu coated with dried tuna shavings and seaweed, was a typical rough and wrinkled tofu. I would advise that the restaurant stop hoodwinking your customers by mentioning “silken tofu” because it is not silky, smooth and soft. <br/><br/>Similarly, the king prawn tempura (3 for $29), some wild caught South Australian king prawns, were STALE and MUSHY. The king prawns were powdery, stinky and soggy. Why is it so difficult for a restaurant to purchase fresh prawns?? It is absolutely unbelievable that fresh prawns are not served for this price. <br/><br/>Lastly the lava roll, a Californian roll with lobster baked in spicy cream sauce, costs $37. Yes, the roll tasted different and creative. But I am too mad at the tofu and prawn tempura.<br/><br/>Stay away from Kobe Jones, people!

Totally disappointed, bad service (we asked for spoon theres a lady with glasses saying that Japanese is not using spoon, and not giving to us). All the portion were tooo small, i thought it was a kid menu( see the rice portion). Totally not worth it dont recommended. Now we are going to eat donimo's.

The view from the restaurant is amazing however the food was only decent. For an expensive restaurant such as this, I was expecting more. The wait time between each dish was so long that I felt hungry and empty by the end of the meal. Sushi and beef tataki was very decent bite-sized snacks and the lobster mornay was full of gills, not enough for five people to share between. The dessert was simple but well presented. Overall, a very basic and underwhelming restaurant.

Food quality poor, everything drowned in mayo. Whole family left feeling hungry and most of us had stomach aches afterwards. Not worth the extremely high price tag. Wouldn't go again even if the food cost $1. This place is an embarrassment to Japanese cuisine.

A very underwhelming experience that even at half price, wouldn't have me returning. We had the perfect for 2 set menu ($125 pp) which consists of a variety of dishes, all which weren't worth the price tag. The lobster roll was drenched in sauce, so much so that if they did use real lobster, you weren't able to taste it. Wagyu was tough and chewy, a disappointing finisher. The pros: staff are wonderful and attentive and the view is great. The flaming number one special is quite good and the jumbo Parmesan oyster was one of the best oysters I've had.

Kobe Jones in summary are 'like' thieves. They overcharged and refused to refund this money even after taking the matter to NSW Fair Trading. WITHOUT A FAIR RESOLUTION it has resorted to giving a negative review so others can learn that Kobe Jones are an unreasonable and disgusting establishment. Worse yet, their food is overrated for the mediocre quality.<br/><br/>A booking was made entitling 50% off meals. On Sunday there is a surcharge of 15% (14% Sunday charge + 1% credit card surcharge). To make it clear, the dispute is NOT on the surcharge, but HOW the surcharge was NOT applied on the ACTUAL bill amount. They applied the 15% surcharge BEFORE the 50% discount on the meal.<br/><br/>The bill amount came to about $300 BEFORE discount. After discount the final bill came to about $150. Logically surcharges are applied on the actual final bill amount. Therefore $150 + 15% x $150 = Final Bill about $172.50. Instead they applied the surcharge on the $300 meaning they added a $45 (15% of $300) surcharge on the $150, bringing the final bill to $195 instead of $172.50. This is a difference of $22.50 that we are seeking a refund on which they refuse to refund. $22.50 is enough to buy 1 drink or 1 entree meal here (believe it, it's overrated too)<br/><br/>As a comparison this is like going to a department store buying a dress for $100, discounted from $500. But instead of being charged a 15% fee on $100 (which is $15), you get the fee on the $500 (which is $75); even though the actual bill is $100.<br/><br/>On the night itself, the waitress and cashier admitted that the system in unfair and that shouldn't have happened and they 'understood' the situation. They said they "can't change the system" and "won't fix" the charge. So much for "understanding"... Given that there was a security guard nearby and no point being stuck in this fruitless discussion, the bill regrettably was paid.<br/><br/>The matter was taken to Fair Trading who contacted the manager with the exact nature of the problem. The manager responded that the surcharge was clearly labelled on the menu/website etc. Again, it is not the surcharge that is being disputed, it is HOW it was applied. To be clear, the surcharge disclaimer did not give any indication whatsoever about it's use in conjunction with other discounts or offers; just that a charge will be applied on Sunday. Any reasonable consumer would think that a surcharge would be applied on the actual final bill.<br/><br/>Everything written is factually correct with witnesses and evidence

Kobe Jones Sydney is a Japanese restaurant with a ‘Californian twist’ located on King St Wharf in Sydney. Chris and I went to take advantage of the 50% off food from First Table. The entrance is from Lime Street and the atmosphere inside is classy and subtle. The main restaurant is dim, with the exception of the brightly lit teppanyaki area at the far end.

The waiters were extremely polite BUT it was FREEZING inside. We could all feel the aircon blowing on our heads, and when we mentioned it to the waiters they assured us that we would warm up when the chef starts cooking on the Teppan. This did not help, we had to keep our coats on throughout the night.<br/>The chef was polite as well but the he could only cook one thing at a time. Which means, he would prepare one dish for one of the guests and the rest would have to wait. So when the rest would get their dish, the first person would have to stare at the others. <br/>The food was generally average, and very small portion for what you are paying. <br/>Will not be recommending this restaurant, or coming back at all.

Food was great; we opted for the 10 course 'winter teaser' degustation. Flavours were bang on, and the last dish of cook-your-own Wagyu was awesome. What marred the experience though was the price of drinks - I take no issue paying a decent amount of cash for a quality glass of wine, but twelve dollars for a Kirin is a blatant cash grab. I left with a pretty bad taste at the back of my throat, which is a real shame. That alone will likely prevent me from returning.

Tried the surf and turf option. Servers were quite rude to be honest, not very warm or accomodating. They didn't seem too concerned about our experience, only about us ordering wine and leaving when we were done. Most of the meals were nice, with the exception of the beef carpaccio. This was too tough and thick to eat, raw meat needs to be melt in the mouth quality or it's not really a carpaccio. The stand out dish was the lobster, enjoyed every mouthful. But the service experience is the main component that makes me hesitant to revisit. Smile a little, ask how our meals were, it's simple and goes miles.

Dear all, for staff's wellbeing and as per the contracts we signed, we are not to roster more than 38 hours/week for casual staff, snd no more than 45 hours for full time. Last week, because we were short of staff due to some sickness, there were some overtime hours worked. This is how i explained to head office in the report:Dear all, for staff's wellbeing and as per the contracts we signed, we are not to roster more than 38 hours/week for casual staff, snd no more than 45 hours for full time. Last week, because we were short of staff due to some sickness, there were some overtime hours worked. This is how i explained to head office in the report:Dear all, for staff's wellbeing and as per the contracts we signed, we are not to roster more than 38 hours/week for casual staff, snd no more than 45 hours for full time. Last week, because we were short of staff due to some sickness, there were some overtime hours worked. This is how i explained to head office in the report:

Never gonna come back to this restaurant. The food was so disappointing and also the service, the only positive point for the restaurant was the view, and the only food that worth a complemen was the tempera, with crispy outside and nice prawn and fresh veggie inside. But we've waiting for ages for the food, and all the other food we ordered, the sushi, the small plates and big plates were just tasteless. So pale and can't get anything out of it. And obviously it's not price wise at all. It might be a good in the old time but apparently it's not good anymore. <br/><br/>Hope this will help :)

good and fast service. the beef is really soft and fresh, sashimi and seafood taste good too! u will get free drink on wednesday! recommend.

The waitress served us boiled wagyu beef on a "sizzling plate". Absolutely disgraceful, will never come here ever again in my life. Would give a rating of zero if I could.

This place used to be my favourite when it first opened.  We went back with a voucher for their lobster special with some of my friends that's never tried this place before and the whole experience was nothing but embarrassing.. poor quality food poor customer service..not sure if the quality was compromised because we were using a voucher but I wouldn't go back whatever the reason is for their terrible service. Maybe they should not sell cheap vouchers if they want to provide cheap service and awful food.

I have not been to Kobe Jones for years and nothing's change. <br/><br/>The food is still as good as I remember and the atmosphere is still lovely with a lovely view of Darling Harbour. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. <br/><br/>Dish of the night has to be the HOKKAIDO HORENSO which is the seared scallops.

Half price set menu during March - cheap!<br/>Couldn't resist decent Japanese food at half price. We came for lunch but by the time we left, we already covered dinner as well. We ordered the delicious set menu (worked out to be $50pp) and the range of dishes on offer was pretty good as it included baked oysters, large Alaskan crab claws which was sweet and tasty and lobster pieces served in the shell which were juicy. I wasn't too keen on the coconut bombs (dessert). It was like eating a hard ferrero rocher, ?mousse inside was too rich for my liking. <br/>Im a big fan of agadashi tofu but I'm sorry it wasn't found here. It cost three times more than what I usually pay for but I didn't think they could get it so wrong! It had a thick crunchy batter and the tofu wasn't silky smooth. The volcano roll was also a big failure as it not only didn't look appetising (looked like a pile of creamy sauce), it was too creamy, sushi was crumbly, and you had to fish through the sauce for the scallops that were diced up! <br/>I also ordered a mango mocktail with `fresh mango' but tasted more like nectar juice and I barely touched it as it tasted like bottled juice. Customer service was okay but trying to flag one down was frustrating as they say they will be back but then you see them take out a customers food order.<br/>Overall, I probably will come back if it was half price again but be more wiser in my choice of food.

As always the food was great, service was very attentive. I just wish they could have added some type of ramen to the menu then i would given a "5".

Dined here for dinner last week, ordered alacarte compaired to the majority of people who were here using a Groupon voucher.<br/><br/>The number 1 special is great and highly recommended trying. The wagyu dish was also nice. Unfortunately the tempura batter for the prawns was a but of a let down, it was rather heavy & I was expecting the prawns to be long and straight. It was a rather expensive dish for what it was & we didn't finish it as it was one of the last dishes to come out. The croquettes were also rather odd, although noce & crunchy outside the texture inside was too runny.<br/><br/>Service was ok, not very attentive at times.<br/><br/>I think my old review was deleted not sure how or why.<br/><br/>Overall not bad place, howver some dishes can be pricey.

Took the family here on Friday and though we had heaps of fun, the food wasn't spectacular. I bought coupons online so we got the 13 course Lobster Tasting menu for $69 rather than $155pp. <br/><br/>The restaurant is very nice and modern, the staff are attentive and very quick to clean up and top up our cups. <br/><br/>The food was mediocre but we had a good time. <br/>

I had the worst dining experience ever at Kobe Jones! I feel so utterly ripped off and disappointed by our experience. We ordered the $125 per person banquet and did not receive the quantity of food for a bill totalling $250!!! The quality of the food was fine but we left the restaurant starving, after spending that amount of money to leave feeling hungry is disgusting!! The service was slow. I couldn't understand why the restaurant was so packed or what the hype was all about but realised a majority of customers had Groupon vouchers. <br/>We were given a gift voucher and I feel shattered that not only did we waste money but our friends wasted their money on this sub par dining experience

RIP OFF. Yes the quality of the food is fine you just need a magnifying glass to find it on the plate. Serving size is terrible. Have eaten plenty of Japenese and this was the BIGGEST RIP OFF EVER!

They take bookings from Dimmi then cancel the customers points even if the customers actually showed up and dined in. There is something dodgy going on with their management. Their food and services are very bad too!

A fan of Kobe Jones' signature dish: "number one special". Creamy, soft, tasty Alaska crab meat with avocado and topped with melted cheese. Very satisfying! <br/>However, I find their other dish too salty and strong in taste, too much soy sauce used in a lot of dishes.

Ordered off their a la carte menu this time. <br/><br/>1) lychee cocktail. Sweet but nice. Just under $20 though<br/><br/>2) number one special. Never disappoints~ <br/><br/>3) mixed sashimi and sushi platter. Not sure which platter this was. Everything was so fresh. Sashimi was cut pretty thick which is always a plus<br/><br/>4) miso lobster tail. Tasted better than the fish market. It was juicy and not too heavy, pulled away from the shell quite easily. The lobster tail we had was a decent size considering the price<br/><br/>5) wagyu beef on hot stone. It's ok. Not that memorable<br/><br/>6) green tea creme brûlée. Not too sweet. Nice crunchy top and good serving size<br/><br/>The total bill came to close to $300<br/><br/>Whether you decide to dine through a Groupon deal or from their a la carte, all their food is served just as good. It's a good experience to dine by Darling Harbour, nice view and good food.

It has been a while since we ate at Kobe Jones - We bought two vouchers from groupon to experience their "summer seafood" menu at $69/pp on 21.01.2017, all I could say that the foods were terrible, not fresh and seriously not recommended. Definitely not coming back....very disappointing

The restaurant is along King Street wharf and directly across from The Star. The number one special is very nice but I feel like the quality of the food was dropped over the past few years. <br/>It is very expensive - I pretty much don't go here unless they have a 50% off deal. Even with the discount, it feels a tad expensive.

Kobe Jones sits nicely in King St Wharf with water views. Kobe Jones has an upmarket menu however you will often see special set menus, groupon deals and other ways to get more of a reasonably priced meal. For full review including photos - go to blog post

It was relatively packed when we got there. Tables and seating were relatively squished together, unless you sat near the window, which we requested, however was advised that those had been booked. We could've sat near a window as no other customers came, even until we left, which I was dissapointed at. We had the summer seafood menu using a voucher. Service seemed rushed at times and the food was a bit average if I'm honest. Not what I remembered, the first time I came. The music wasn't really fitting of the restaurant. Rather than romantic or jazz/blues music, dance music was played instead, which I found odd. The view was nice though.

I guess this restaurant can survive only because they have the Groupon promotion all the time. I won't come back to this restaurant again with Groupon vouchers, or free of charge. Cos food is not fresh and way below average. I can only give it 1 cos there is no 0 available for me to choose. Pls Avoid!!! The restaurant should feel shameful about themselves for having the below average low quality food and the value is not worth for money. I wonder anywhere I can complain about Groupon with Kobe Jone for frauds customers totally misleading. Seriously people pls stay away from this restaurant! If you don't trust what I post here what I have experienced then come try and surely you will be regret.

I'm surprised at some of the reviews. On my visit service was friendly and fast. <br/>We had the "perfect for 2" set menu. I enjoyed all the dishes except the popcorn prawn. Stands out were the wagyu hot stone and the number one special. <br/>I'd definitely return for their AYCE sushi lunch special which sounds like a good deal.

Ambience: Fine for what it is is<br/>Service: Attentive enough<br/>Food: Biggest let down. <br/>1) Overuse of Mayo: was the manufacturer of Jap mayonnaise, KJ would make me rich. Most dishes on the set menu were overwhelmed with this stuff and ruined the balance of the dish. The dishes with mayo lacked texture as well as balance.<br/><br/>Worst dish of the night was rice dish with steam eggs, seaweed, crab (?) and get ready for it, mayo. It was served with wasabi/ginger. I'm getting confused just thinking about it again. <br/><br/>2) Overcooked: Lobster was rubbery. Enough said. Was also covered in this cream-based sauce which didnt need to be there<br/><br/>3) Overcomplicated: the best thing on the night was the crab legs which was presumably bought cooked. Delicate, flavour of the sea still there, served with lime. Simple but effective. The other highlight was nigiri sushi to be fair. Again, simple but a winner.

We went to this restaurant on Sunday night as a Christmas party with some friends and it was the worst dining experience ever. We arrived at 6:30pm and until 10pm the course that we've ordered wasn't finalised and we really just wanted to leave the venue. We've end up leaving without having the dessert. They served miso soup as one course and gave two half lobsters to be shared amongst 3 people. I wonder if two people have dined in how would they serve their lobster then? The food was slow and terrible, the manager or staff members didn't seem to care. Simply its the worst restaurant in Sydney. Not only money was wasted but the special occassion was ruined.

I've been here a few times in the past and it has been rather pleasant, so today I was really looking forward to celebrate a good friend's birthday here, but I am utterly disappointed! <br/><br/>I don't know if it's under different management or they just gave up keeping up the standards anymore. The service was appalling, staff was rude and inattentive. Not to mention the staff was never careful with packing/cleaning, constant thumping and thudding noises.<br/><br/>Food was presented badly and tasted very mediocre and not to mention the wait is long. Honestly expected more with this price range and the location is at. <br/><br/>Sorry Kobe Jones we won't be coming back and it's sad to see you gone downhill this bad. <br/>

Been here on two occasions, one through a promotion and the other just on a regular dining experience. I have to say the amount of food that we got through the promotion was much more than dining in on a regular basis. But overall the quality of food is very good and is very delicious, coupled with the view, it's a very good experience.

This popular restaurant has been around for so long, not surprisingly with great location & beautiful setting. It is popular with tourists and great for dates. The menu is modern Japanese & on the pricier side. The food is fresh although the wagyu beef tataki looked a little lifeless in colour and texture which was disappointing. Food is tasty especially the volcano roll & lobster teppanyaki cooked at the table which is also great fun. The matcha tiramisu was sweet & light with a nice hint of matcha flavour and is a lovely finish to a light meal.

Have been here on two occasions, whilst we do enjoy the food,it is quite pricey for what it is. They do regularly have deals on some group buying sites eg Groupon, Scoopon etc which make it more worth the price. <br/><br/>On our first occasion, we had  dined on a Sunday, which was surprisingly busy. Whilst we did enjoy the food, each course took an extremely long time to come out so by the time we finished our 8 or so course meal, it had taken some 3 hours. Seating was not the most comfortable as all the tables are placed uncomfortably close together . We were also slapped with their Sunday surcharge of 15%, which was a considerable amount considering their prices. <br/><br/>On the second occasion, we chose not to dine on a Saturday (to avoid the surcharge) and made sure we paid for plenty of hours of parking so that we didn't need to worry about it during our meal. The food did not disappoint and was a lot speedier this time which made for a nicer experience, although we're not too sure we'll come back again as there are plenty more Japanese restaurants in Sydney which do great food with better value.

So so strange! I usually think what's going on,why do you like this particular restaurant I think is ordinary and now the tables are turned on me! I don't understand the low rating here <br/><br/>Third time I've been here and 3rd time I'm<br/>Impressed! <br/><br/>I believe my fiancé used a Groupon deal but I'm not sure as it was a surprise! <br/><br/>Everything was good to great! The dessert is a nice surprise and something a little different,I won't give it away <br/><br/>Service is professional and easy to wave down staff <br/><br/>I just find this place a little dark though (maybe for ambience) and sitting next to the window can get a little cold <br/><br/>I'm also surprised they have a teppanyaki section <br/><br/>Overall I'm impressed once again and this is one of my favourite Japanese places <br/>

Took my 8 & 7 year old for their first teppanyaki experience. It was lunchtime and deadly quiet, but the chef was great amused the children and the lunchtime food menu was reasonable value.

💚Sushi? No one does it like @kobejones_sydney Admire the harbour views and indulge🍴🍤 One of the finer sushi Japanese restaurants I have had the pleasure of dining. @mybondisummer #mybondisummer

Ehhhh, mediocre. Visited here twice and a similar experience both times. I love my Japanese food and in quite the critique and not a lot of complaints in this department except for the prices. You could rack up a massive bill here and still be keen AF for a K-Fry run post-meal. With that said, service is deplorable, the number of times I looked around and waved my hand just to get a drink or some extra wasabi, I could've spent the week in physio for a stiff neck. Highly commercialised and if I was a Sydney tourist I'd be popping down to a bar on the wharf.

Ordinary, the concept was interesting, but as "Japanese" restaurant it was poor value and the food quality and taste was inconsistent. No Japanese beer on tap!!!!<br/><br/>Too much "mayonnaise"!

Came here for dinner and was very unimpressed with the course, nothing amazing, I can only rate this place as average - my Alaskan crab was extremely dry. For dessert we had the Matcha green tea creme brûlée and it very grainy and eggy still. <br/>

My family and I ate here for the New Year's Eve before 2015. The sushi is always beautiful, the view of the harbour as the sun was setting was quite beautiful and service was satisfactory, but not all the food was great, and some dishes, such as the pork ribs (don't order this, it's a massive waste of money) left much to be desired. The quality of the food overall was only OK, by fine dining standards, and I wouldn't really recommend this place. Reasonably priced for fine dining I think. This was the second time we'd eaten here, and while the first occassion left me wanting more, this time left me not so keen. I blame it on us ordering the wrong menu set, I think. If you come here, DEFINITELY order a set with lots of their sushi, as that is what they're good at.

sort of mixed feelings about this place, groupon vouchers all the time so make sure you get one before you come or you end up paying way too much. The number one special is indeed special and delicious, although once i had the plastic wrap still on my crab roe. also it is so dark in here so in order to take nice pictures make special use of that small lamp. if you bring a date make sure you bring a jacket or you'll be heaps cold when u sit on the balcony. the volcano roll is also delicious.

Had the 13 course degustation. Number 1 sushi and the matcha creme brulee were great but the rest was so-so. Great atmosphere but service was slow. 3.5 out of 5 fishballs ( ^^ )( ^^ )( ^^ )( ^

By far the worst place i have eaten. The management should be a shame of themself. The service is shocking and the food is just as bad. Made a complaint about one of the dish. The dish with rice, mushroom and cream sauce was so terrible that we couldnt evan take one bite. So we complain and the staff did nothing. We than ask the waitress when we came up to pay too see how she resolve it. She told us she had the same complaint about the dish several times and the chef will taste it to fix it. I dont understand why would you still serve the same dish when already you had several complaints and why hasn't the chef already try to fix the dish. We were on a groupon deal and we paid 140$, i would have beeb evan more pissed off if we had to pay full price cause evan at $140 was a total waste of money

Food is nice only for some, especially in entree, like the number one special, scallop, but when start to come to main course, it was going down the hill. I suggest the chef should keep it as Japanese. I understand the executive chef is not really Japanese but Korean, that's fine if keep the original. Please do not confuse the customer and end up fail to balance it. A bit disappointed as overall but we were excited for the entree level. Overall no more than 6/10, if my main as good as the entree, I might give 9/10. Will I come back again ? Not sure to be honest, you have to convince me.

Very well flavoured and prepared wagyu tataki and tuna sashimi, and I had a fantastic cocktail. Unfortunately the food and atmosphere was let down by the service, or rather lack of it. I waited a good thirty five mins after finishing my sashimi, with an empty plate in front of me. No dessert menu or second drink was offered which I would have ordered. In the end I gave up waiting and went up to pay - and was frowned at for not having a copy of my bill. If only I'd had the opportunity to ask for it. Suggest Sushi Tei on Hunter Street instead.

When a restaurant has 50% off deals on Groupon permanently, you know it’s bad sign. It’s like the “Closing down sales” with sale prices which are the equivalent of full-priced items. Kobe Jones was no exception to the rule. The entrance to Kobe Jones. On the surface, Kobe Jones looks like a modern, trendy restaurant, but the food was average, bland, or overly seasoned, and unimpressive. The food was expensive at the 50% off prices, so the full-priced menu would have been extortionate!

If you are seriously considering this place, I would so recommend you to have a look at the negative comments. I agree to every word written there.<br/><br/>Firstly, the service is awful. The door-girl is arrogant and unable to smile. And every move they made is on slow-motion.<br/><br/>And talking about the food, we were amazed by the first dish we had which was the crab and avocado roll, but the good side stopped there. The following dishes are terrible, seriously terrible. Not talking about all the sushi and small dishes which you can have them in any normal sushi train or something, the wagyu beef is definitely not wagyu but tasted like rump steak; and the lobster are frozen ones which we can clearly tell there is a weird taste in it. The last dish green tea cream brûlée was not too bad but not impressive.<br/><br/>The "just ok" view does not worth the money you pay for. If you want any good Japanese food I would recommend you go to any one in Neutral Bay would be great much better than this.

Good Japanese restaurant right beside the water. I enjoyed it here because of the ambience and nice food.<br/><br/>Very modern and fusion Japanese.<br/><br/>The prices are pretty expensive though - especially if you don't have that Groupon voucher.

The green tea creme brulee looked very impressive in the silver bowl with a live flame, but the taste was rather disappointing. The texture was very grainy and not smooth how creme brulees are usually.

The first time I came to Kobe Jones was for a friend's birthday dinner where he had ordered the Kobe Jones Luxury Banquet menu which was a 13 course dinner set. <br/>Each dish had their own unique flavours and textures which left us fulfilled and satisfied. My favourite dish is the  Sweet Chili Motoyaki Crab and Chocolate Trio dessert. Even though the prices might be a tad pricer, you are paying for the amazing seafood and view there. <br/><br/>More photos & info on each dish at: www (dot) miss-sennnaa.blogspot (dot) com.au/2014/04/kobe-jones-sydney-japanese-fine-dining.html

Degustation lobster hot stone Groupon deal $79...<br/><br/>Well, we got "Deg'ed" the "Gustation" never really happened. Apparently the degustation menus are normally $149 + per person, crazy, don't do it!<br/><br/>Honestly, there were a couple of really nice dishes, like dish 1, the crab seafood roll, BOOM, was a great way to start, so tasty, but unfortunately only the scallops and the last dish the creme brulee came close to the great start, everything else was just ok. <br/><br/>If you must get degustated save your money and look somewhere else.<br/><br/>Oh and the $11 sakes are good but tiny, really tiny, the cocktails are massive but only if you like your cocktails with 90% ice.<br/><br/>Good location, good view, the waitress was good.<br/><br/>Value for money, not really!

Don’t bother. If the reviews about them were good, they probably wrote them themselves. <br/><br/>We went with a voucher and the 12-course was awful. First, the waitress sat us near a table which was located in a bad area and when we requested another table, they said it was fully booked but throughout the whole time while we were there, the other tables were not taken.<br/><br/>Then we found bits of glass fragments on our table and plates. Apparently someone has broken a glass and haven’t clean the table probably or the plates. We had to ask them to wipe the table and gave us new utensils.<br/><br/>The voucher said 12-course but in actual fact, 4 courses were served all in one plate – bits of sushi- like finger food.<br/><br/>The Wagyu Hot Rocks wasn’t really wagyu beef. The meat was tough and the meat hasn’t a marbled effect as in real Wagyu beef. And the dipping sauce has no favour.<br/><br/>The Alsakan crab were two bits of a claw and they don’t taste fresh. Looked like they have been sitting in the fridge for some time and then heated up in the microwave.<br/><br/>The voucher cost us $138 and it’s not worth the price. It is just a waste of our time and our money. If you seriously going to this place, don’t bother. This place will suit people who have never been to Japan or eaten real Japanese food.<br/><br/>If they are so good, they wouldn’t have to sell vouchers to promote themselves. The place is not doing well, hence, the vouchers. <br/><br/>Give them a miss, you wouldn’t regret it. There are better places to eat.

Food was not amazing.. Service was very slow.. Took approximately 15 min before we were served with menus and table water... Fish was over cooked, sushi was nice and tender tho, oysters had dirt in them, and dessert was creative.<br/><br/>The main reason this place is happening is Becuase of location.. Because the food is overpriced and nothing special or creative. Why would I pay for cheap looking and tasting Japanese food for premium price? Ruin the dishes to the point where you waste the quality of the produce and meats.. Anyway, feel like j should give it another chance but don't want to hurt the bank with another mediocre meal.

Lovely set menu lobster degustation. Loved the way each dish had such depth of flavour and well thought through. Most memorable were probably the lobster cooked on a hot rock and the azuki-filled brûlée dessert. Service was spot on and the view is obviously a highlight. Price-wise in terms of portion sizes I think could improve but overall, I enjoyed the dinner very much.

Came here on New Year's Day with my extended family as we got a deal for an 8 or so course meal. <br/><br/>Staff are quite quiet and don't look super happy but we were seated quickly and the view is really nice<br/><br/>The first course came out and everyone enjoyed it. However, after that, everything seemed to go downhill for me and most of my other family members. Some courses were loaded with sauce that it became hard to swallow down, other courses were bland or not very nice. <br/><br/>For how much you pay, the food is not worth it 😁

We've revisited Kobe Jones to impress our family guests from Korea. The style, view and mood were great as usual but the staff looked a slightly confused and stressed out. We always order rolls at this restaurant. It's their specialty. 'VOLCANO ROLLS' are must try dish. It's heavenly and the best rice roll you'll taste in Sydney. We've ordered other rolls and dishes but looking back maybe we should've just ordered 10 Volcano Roll dishes instead. The venue is perfect for the awkward first date, anniversaries or business lunch. I give Volcano roll 5 bears and the place 3 and a half bears.

Having eaten here before I knew what to expect.<br/><br/>Had one of the set menus (didn't take pictures of all the dishes). Great selection (and almost too much to eat) but too many deep fried dishes. Extremely disappointed that what could have been a very good sushi was covered in a rich sauce. <br/><br/>Should have gone with the vegetarian option (my friend got that). Far more healthier and more traditional Japanese. You can see the difference in the pictures (not drenched in sauce). <br/><br/>Friendly and attentive staff. <br/><br/>Overall over priced. Very disappointed.

Been to both restaurant and teppanyaki many times! Brought their voucher from scoupon, very good deal! Food are delicate and delicious! Service was fantastic! Foods are served fast. Every time I go I am a very happy customer! I am not sure what price range they are if you didn't buy the scoupon voucher tho. So check they prices or wait for vouchers!

On new years eve I booked a reservation for two people. The seating was at 8:45pm and I was there at 8:35pm. The maitre d asked me to wait outside the restaurant. I thought that was quite rude as I had paid 400 for tickets. When I suggested I wait in the lounge he asked me to leave and not to come back. He was most disrespectful and obnoxious. I have never came across a more insolent maitre d in my entire life.

We had a very disappointing Christmas dinner here at Kobe Jones Sydney. The service was notably atrocious. Although we had a reservation and had confirmed to be using a set dinner voucher, we still had to wait 45 minutes to be served after being seated. It wasn't until we asked three times that we were served water. This should always be one of the first things a restaurant serves after seating the patrons. I only gave an extra point as the service improved after our obvious annoyance.<br/><br/>We had the lobster degustation meal voucher which definitely was not worth the discounted price. The simple edamame course was generally bland with a strange hint of a fishy taste. It could have used a bit of salt to truly bring out the flavor. The lobster dishes themselves were poorly executed. The lobsters were either flavorless or drowned in an overpowering mayonnaise sauce. The dishes could have utilized the delicious natural flavor of the lobster.

Finally decided to try Kobe Jones and was amazed how poor the restaurant food quality and waitress service is. For those who wish to try group-on special with the lobster tail menu will be very disappointed. Firstly food wise the lobster tails are defrosted and are those ones patrons are able to purchase on lobster tail packets for $18 at the supermarket each. Secondly the menu consisted of boiled rice and miso soup, the rice was just plain rice and the soup was astonishing for how they are able to use the instant miso soup packets and serve it to customers paying dearly. Thirdly the seafood salad had pre-made mussels, prawns and scallop and tasted to the point you will expect a bad stomach ache after. Forth the lava roll and edaname was atrocious having the roll look like vomit in the dark (due to night time dinning) and the edaname having no salt atleast. Fith the citrus lobster, once again it was the exact same poor quality restaurant as the lobster hot plate serving it was over cooked and even managed to destroy fresh veggies served with it. Also adding to the menu I ordered the wagyu tataki and crab croquette which was a let down however the wagyu meat quality was superb however making it into tataki was a big let down, the croquettes which was suppose to be crab and corn filling ended up being filled with a generous amount of seafood crab sticks which you can also purchase for 50 cents per stick. The highlight of the night would be the sorbet which cleanses your palate and clears the taste of your mouth which pleased me alot and at the point I couldn't handle the menu no longer and decided to pay the bill and leave. The customer service is poor where as one young lady noticed me with me hand up and kept eye contact for a good 3 seconds and turned away after wards. Quite disgusting behaviour. After paying about $430 for all this I'm very disappointed, Kobe Jones have received numerous bad reviews and with the quality of staff and food the reaching the lowest point, they should be ashamed to even try be a high end japanese dinning restaurant. They should take a step back and review themselves as a team and as a restaurant because as far as I know they are not worth the time nor money of customers.

Very poor. So poor, in fact, that it inspired me to write this review, my first. Clearly this place is trading on its views. The service, whilst good-natured, is lacking. People who barely want to be there; some seem unable to smile. The food is average - has aspirations of trying to be a high end Japanese restaurant with sadly inferior results. The much-hyped volcano roll is a mushy mess and the wagyu stone grill tasted like rump steak. Even with a living social voucher (no-one seems to pay full price here, nor should they), it was way too expensive. Try instead: masuya, suminoya, any high-end sushi train

Considering the price they are charging, the food is overrated as far as I am concerned. Of course the location and the view is also part of the price but everyone expect to get the most of their money from the food I guess. Also not sure if it is the problem of my tasting system or their food is just very salty. I drunk 5 glasses of water..

Went with the Perfect for 2 course and was generally impressed with the courses. The highlight dish was the volcano roll- totally surprised with the presentation- deconstructed and was very yummy. Was not really impressed with their cod- undercooked and could have been more flavorful. The night started well but ended in a disappointing note with a cockroach underneath our table. It was not a big deal but believe the situation could be handled better by the management. <br/><br/>

Kobe Jones is on of those Japanese restaurants that I feel is slightly overrated. You are definitely paying more for the name and their location rather than the calibre of food yu'd be enjoying. I've been here a few times and each time I've left either still hungry and mildly disappointed. Their infamous dish is probably the The volcano roll which is to die for but so is the price tag attached with it. They are often found in discount sites offering set menus for a reasonable price but you don't get to try most of their good dishes. With so many decent washoku places in Sydney... and most don't take such a big hit on the wallet will definitely offer better value for money. Kobe Jone is more a place to take to impress clients or a special someone but probably not if you're more a foodie..

Whatever you do don't go for their Crab Lovers Degustation! I got a deal off Groupon which gave me $80 off the original price of the meal and even that I felt like I was ripped off big time. Most courses were made of "crab sticks" (imitation crab meat) and soft shell crabs. Each course was served at least 15-20 minutes apart so we ended up being there more than 2 hours. I took my dad there and he almost fell asleep half way through... We also asked for hot green tea (which costs $10 by the way!!) but we got a warm-ish almost room temperature tea instead. NEVER EVER going back there again!!

food is yuk. and the waitresses mostly stuck up. really bad service for an upmarket restaurant. the standard has declined very much over the years. only thing going for it is the views now.

I have dined in Kobe Jones a few times and they have always been very pleasant. Their volcano roll is to die for and everything else is also quite good, though nothing spectacular. I have always enjoyed the quiet and romantic ambience and staff have always been helpful.

I went here for a birthday dinner with my boyfriend and we had a pretty good experience. I wouldn't say the sushi is world class but it is definitely better than most places in Sydney. The decor in the restaurant is really nice and I love that it is open. It definitely isn't a Japanese place I would go to often but it's definitely worth a try.

First timer here with a special friend and I was surprised at the experience. I am no stranger to Japanese food, yet I was surprised by the fare. <br/><br/>We had essentially the two person sampler, which proved to be plenty of food and had an excellent varity on offer. I agree that perhaps there is a little bit too much "Mayo" in use, the freshness of the ingredients stood out and above the sauce drenching.  Service was fine, perhaps a little slow, but never intrusive or overbearing. <br/><br/>While some of the dishes go against the grain when it comes to the simplicity of Japanese cuisine, each dish shone with the freshness of the ingredients .  Both my partner and I may even start looking forward to Oysters in the future!<br/><br/>Thank you for a special night Kobe Jones, we will be back.

Promises great Japanese food and beautiful views. We arrived at 8:30pm expecting to see stunning harbour light views of Darling Harbour but screens they use on the balcony are dark, so you can't actually see through them! The food was overpriced for the quality (oily and generic), and the wait staff are employed for looks (poor them in the uniforms they have to wear) rather than service levels (our food was delivered, taken away and then redelivered again several times).<br/>There are so many options when dining in Sydney, don't bother here.

Something has gone wrong here. A few years back it was high quality food and service. Food is still decent but service was ordinary. Waited about 1hr 30 for 2 dishes even though they wanted us to graze. Disappointing

This place is always very enjoyable. Definitely a place where you bring your lover but if its windy.. bring a jacket as it can get a bit nippy on the balcony... i highly recommend the Volcano Roll - its the best in Sydney.

Great aspect above it all and looking out onto Darling Harbour, we sat ourselves in the deck in the warmth of the springtime sun. <br/>The menu is complicated but we got there in the end and started with the tempura king prawns and Volcano Kobi Roll followed by the hot rock beef with some sides. <br/>The portions are very large. The prawns as a small share plate had at least 10 serves. The batter was light and crunchy but I found the dish overall short on flavour. The Kobi Roll I don't get. Again a generous serve but just a bit of a mess for me and this penchant of late for Japanese to be overdone with creamy sauces I am struggling with. Cooking the beef on the hot rock was novel however as a novice and at the price for 100g I would prefer some one do it for me so I enjoy the beef at its best. <br/>It all seems a bit negative but the food was not terrible. Maybe I need a Kobi guide? Asahi and the Service was excellent.

Friendly staff, great food - particularly the tiger prawns and no.1 special. Music and atmosphere were a great start to a Saturday night out.

I visited Kobe Jones with a friend of mine - two single girls out to dinner on a Saturday night before heading off dancing along King St Wharf. We love Japanese and I was a little scared that our 8.30pm sitting would be a little bit to "date night" for us. However, we had so much fun dining at Kobe Jones! The music was top 40 and Darling Harbour 9pm fireworks added a little bit of fun to the night. The staff were really chatty and friendly and completely looked after us. I would describe the food as Japanese classics with a slight modern Australian twist. The flambe green tea brûlée came in a close second to the tempura prawns which were my highlight for the night.

Went tonight for the winter romance groupon purchased $70pp. Very tiny portions and we left hungry. Would not have paid full price for this at all. Number one special was delicious but that's there it stopped. Just very let down. Have tried it a few times but this was the last. Staff serving us tonight (1.8.15) was crap. No personality and just not there. Not even worth the groupon price of $70pp. Something needs to change seeing all the negatives on here.

The atmosphere is so beautiful but sadly the food which is the most important part of the restaurant was upsetting. So much mayonnaise and the king crab you could taste the frozen taste. The lobster hot rocks was good but the sauces was terrible. For the price I would not come here ever again. Felt oily afterwards.<br/>

Winter romance menu was excellent! We used Groupon voucher $69 for 13 courses couldn't refuse that deal! Was a winters night but sat underneath a heater on the balcony and it was just perfect :)

Amazing food, it is to die for! Enjoyed the lively atmosphere, the staff were very polite and service was excellent. Definitely recommend!