bad food, poor service over priced small portions. If this place wasn't part of a hotel it would be out of business.

On Sunday, March 9th, 2025, my boyfriend and I had our first Nobu dining experience with my cousin and her fiance. From the moment you walk in, the ambiance is created by the beautiful environment as dark walls contrast unique light fixtures and gilded leaves float across the ceiling catching the light of the fading evening sun. We were given a warm welcome by the hosts, chefs and waitstaff as service began at 5:00pm, greeting us in unison as we entered the dining room. What followed the next three and a half hours was the best dining experience I've had so far. I could tell you about each dish we had, what was in it and why it was so amazing, but I don't want to do that. Part of what made our experience so fun and delightful was placing trust in the lovely manager who curated a menu for us that wowed our palates from bite to bite. From my very first bite, my very first drink, it felt like the staff really took into account our tastes and tailored a menu that was more of a tasting journey. The contrast between flavors, textures, sauces--it was all amazing and so much fun. With the exception of dessert, we sent back the dishes cleaned off with barely a garnish left--and we were too full to finish by dessert but it was sooo gooooood. My favorite part? You had to truly be present for each bite and each dish, to listen to our awesome waitress as she told us the ingredients, how to eat what we were given, and all through the night, we were given trivia about the history of Nobu and how its philosophy came to be. Our drinks were always replenished, our plates cleared to be clean and ready so following courses would not be mixed with flavors of previous courses. I have often been told that hospitality is about how you make people feel, and that night, Nobu's management, waitstaff, hosts, chefs and cooking staff were peak hospitality because we left feeling spoiled, buzzing from the delightful array of flavors and wonderful conversation and company we had all through the night. We truly enjoyed dining at Nobu Chicago, and can't wait to go back again. I'm not listing the dishes we had because I'm advocating for a curated experience--engage with your servers, set a price limit and let them surprise you if you're up for a foodie adventure. You won't be disappointed. read more

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Wonderlful experience not the kind of place where you expect to eat volume but to appreciate quality of new age sushi. The service was excellent and the ambiance was beautiful. Will likely come back and stay at the hotel upstairs! read more

Nobu Chicago - Cucumber salad seafood cervicje new age yellow tail sushi New York strip loin - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went for my anniversary and the ambiance is so beautiful! Perfect date night. When you walk by the sushi chefs they greet you. It's really nice! We decided to the omakase and it was wonderful! We started out with a shrimp ceviche like dish and it got bigger from there. We ended with the Wagyu which was phenomenal. Also not pictured was the miso black cod! Omg! So good! Overall really cool experience! Not the best omakase I've had but I would go back again! read more

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Food is absolutely delicious, but the portions are dastardly small and the prices are sky high. So the food is definitely 5/5, but the value is just not justified in our opinion. They have a nice happy hour, although the staff at first informed us incorrectly it was not active. We'd maybe return, but I hesitate to recommend it read more

The sushi brunch buffet was very disappointing. For $80 per person, I expected a much wider selection and better quality. The sushi options were extremely limited and mostly basic rolls, nothing special or creative. The prime rib at the carving station was overdone, and there wasn't much meat available in general. The dessert table was just okay. The atmosphere is trendy, but the music was a bit too loud to comfortably talk. Overall, the experience felt lackluster and definitely not worth the price. I wouldn't return for the brunch buffet and wouldn't recommend it at $80 per person. read more

This place is beautiful. I went in for the happy hour and the bar was completely full. You apparently need to get here EARLY. It was my birthday so I went ahead and splurged on the restaurant side. The hostess was okay. Polite without being friendly. My server was very friendly and looked like she had most of the floor at the time I sat down. The restaurant quickly filled up. After 6 when the happy hour ended, so did the crowd. Two gentleman sat down a couple seats from me and when the larger man sat down on the bench, same as I was on, the entire thing moved back. He didn't realize, but I had to scoot my table towards me. Apparently the seats are connected event though they look seperate. After dinner, when I got up, the seat did the same thing. Dinner itself was excellent. Miso soup was excellent and the quality of the fish was top notch. Not overly embelished, just the natural beauty and freshness standing out. I had to ask if they did anythings for birthdays, which I was celebrating, but when 2+ sat down, they actually asked if they were celebrating anything. read more

Went for sushi buffet brunch, very disappointed. Customer service was lacking. Had difficulty getting through the doors with stroller, but none of the staff came to assist and just watched from host stand. Waitress wasn't very friendly or attentive either. Sushi was mediocre at best, some pieces better than others. Limited selection, salmon/tuna/yellow tall nigiri, but also same thing in basic maki form. The brisket was decent, some cuts very tender, came with chimichurri sauce and teriyaki type sauce, both tasted similar with overwhelming cumin flavor. Breakfast sandwiches were sloppy. Cheese not melted and hard, wagyu patty dry and overdone, bun bland. A handful of items were just not flavorful, including ceviche. Pastries. Espresso tart overly bitter. Highlight of the day was banana cake, good balance and nice crunchy texture. Mango crème with pistachio crumbles was enjoyable as well. For $65, quality and customer service wasn't there. First experience with Nobu, very underwhelming and unlikely to return. read more

This was a nice place for a high end dinner. We had a group of 8 so we elected to do the tasting menu. The dishes came out in the right amount of time which made it an enjoyable experience. The sashimi course was good but the reason I dropped it to 4 stars was the fish quality. I was very surprised at the sushi that came out. There are tons of high end sushi spots in Chicago and this place fell very short of what I have had. The fish was of good texture but just didn't have that great flavor you expect when you pay that price. The wagyu was outstanding and the black cod was probably the best piece of fish that I have ever had. I just really wish the sushi, which is what this place is "known" for, would be of higher quality. read more

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This was the second time we came here. We felt a bit put off by the hostess at the front. We came at our reservation time and she wasn't even communicating and just walked off without asking us to follow. Then we asked to move to a different spot which was empty and we got some attitude from the staff, which was not necessary. We were a group of 7 and celebrating a birthday. After that things went well, but the food was a disappointment. We asked for vegetarian options, and were told that the cold dishes could be substituted. So we were told to substitute the cold dishes the yellowtail jalapeno with avocado instead of fish and the tiradito with cucumber. Please tell me how is a plate of sliced avocado with a small jalapeno pepper on top worth $34?! And then just sliced cucumbers with a taijin pepper worth $34? That was completely a terrible substitution and not actual food. The server was in a better mood once she saw we were ordering food and drinks. She also got the chef to make us custom veggie sushi. She was nice at the end and brought us out a dessert for the birthday girl. Definitely didn't feel good paying so much money for food that wasn't even proper food. read more

The ambiance at every Nobu is unmatched. They kniw what they are doing...and do it well. Food is always spectacular and drinks are stellar. Even sitting at the bar on a Saturday night...you'll receive the same service as the dining room, light banter included from the mixology staff read more

Nobu had been on my list for ages, and my friend and I decided to celebrate our bdays (three weeks apart) and treat ourselves to Nobu. The food was excellent. We had the cod, wagyu, spinach salad, and some rolls. The wagyu was good but surprisingly our least favorite dish. We loved the cod and the spinach salad with dried miso so much that I found recipes online to recreate both dishes at home! The service started out strong, but our server disappeared for about a half hour mid meal. It would have been nice to have the crumbs taken care of before our mains came out, but the food and cocktails made up for it. It is dark and intimate, a great place for a date or special occasion. We're already looking forward to coming back! read more

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I think this has to be one of my favorite restaurants. I came here with expectations that the prices would be extremely high and the food would be mediocre. But I was sorely wrong. Yes, the prices are high, but I feel they are justified by how unique, fresh, and well executed all the dishes are. My table and I got cocktails to start. I tried the pina martini while my friends tried the lychee & elderflower martini, and grapefruit on the rocks. All of the cocktails were well balanced and tasted fresh of fruit. Not too sweet and the alcohol was not too strong (though there are 2 shots in each!). I haven't found cocktails that I have enjoyed as much as these. For dinner, our server gave us the option of ordering al la carte or them creating a menu specifically for us based on our preferences. We chose the specially crafted menu as it seemed so unique. We also gave our server a price point per person, which she was able to stick to. We were given a variety of dishes to try: yellowtail jalapeño, crispy rice with tuna, black cod miso, wagyu dumplings, umami chicken teriyaki, sushi maki rolls (salmon avocado, tuna, soft shell crab, vegetable). The fish was all so fresh and just melted in our mouths. Truly all of the dishes were so good, we were stunned. I think our least favorite was probably the chicken teriyaki, though that makes sense as this restaurant is more fish forward. The black cod miso was the crowd favorite. Not too sweet or salty and the fish was so soft. To end the meal, we were given the banana soy toban and the bento box. The banana dish was not to our liking but the bento box was filled with a chocolate lava cake and matcha ice cream that was heavenly. I don't have anything but good things to say about our experience here. The food was divine, the service was impeccable, and the atmosphere was top quality. The glass art piece on the ceiling was just extraordinary. While the price is quite high, I think it is worth it on special occasions for everything that you get here at Nobu. read more

Its ok. Most went to have a good time with friends, but I expected more since I've been to Nobu but in Malibu Pro: -The fish is high quality -The ambiance is nice Con: -Most of the sushi is only yellowtail, salmon, tuna - thats it. Although high quality, these are pretty basic fishes -A lot of the brunch items lack variety and after getting up 2 times it seemed we tried everything already and never felt that we needed to try everything -The breakfast sandwich was really heavy and greasy we felt read more

Amazing! Food, drinks, service and a really great roof top bar. Ate way too much sushi but couldn't stop! read more

Nobu Chicago - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was surprised to see a Nobu in the West Loop area - a nice addition! We came here for some post-dinner drinks and shareables, and sat at the bar. We ordered: +the Yuzu Strawberry Calpico - a mocktail prepared with strawberry Calpico, yuzu, lime, and mint - this was like a yogurt- creamy-based drink that had a nice citrus hint from the yuzu; very aesthetically pleasing and tasty! +Toro Tartare with Caviar - not much of a shareable, as this is just enough for half a person! +Toro & Scallion maki - my favorite of the three +Yellowtail & Scallion maki +Spicy Tuna maki All the rolls were fresh and bite-sized; a small pitcher of soy sauce was served with it. Service was friendly, and we were checked-in throughout our dining experience. I also liked that they don't rush you! The bar area is first-come, first-serve; the tables with the sofas are by reservations only. The hotel itself is dark and has a nice, chic vibe to it. Extremely limited metered and garage parking available. +Yuzu Strawberry Calpico +delicious toro and rolls +friendly service +limited metered street and garage parking read more

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The food was so incredible. Everything was so fresh and delicious. We gave the server a price range per person, told her what we liked, and she took it from there. She did an incredible job and nailed it! It was well decorated and dimly lit inside. Would definitely recommend coming here and I will be back! read more

Nobu is a very elegant, expensive, and fine dining restaurant that would be great for an occasion such as celebrating a birthday or a big special event. The food here is amazing, but is probably one of the more expensive restaurants in the city. If there is one thing about Nobu Chicago, it's that their menu items will not disappoint. My favorite items were the Spicy Tuna Crispy rice, Yellowtail Jalapeño, and the Tiradito. These are great starters to share with everyone at the table. The Tiradito and yellowtail were very soft and melted in my mouth. The crispy rice is always a favorite and must have with the crunchiness of the rice. The King Crab Tacos, Black Cod Miso, snd Wagyu Dumplings were also some favorites at our table. It tasted very fresh and the cod was drizzled in the miso sauce. All of the sushi and sashimi on their menu are great and are fresh. Can't go wrong with ordering any of them. The rooftop is great to enjoy the view of the city, enjoy outside, and overall great atmosphere in the summer time. There is nothing like eating with a good view. Nobu is the perfect spot to have a celebration for any occasion. The ambience is lovely, and the staff are all very nice on top of their delicious food! read more

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The hotel is great, but the restaurant seems to be struggling. A server was unexpectedly rude to my husband and me, and the atmosphere felt so unwelcoming that we ended up getting up and leaving. This was our most recent--and final--visit to Nobu Chicago. During our stay, I visited the restaurant several times, and it consistently felt several notches below the caliber you'd expect given how well the hotel is run. The vibe reads more like "resting on the brand name" than delivering an elevated dining experience. I enjoyed the food most when ordered as room service. To be clear, I don't mind a place with imperfect service if the food is exceptional, and even vice versa--there are plenty of spots I gladly revisit for one strength or the other. But Nobu Chicago doesn't have the food quality to justify the attitude, nor the customer service to justify settling for mid food at a high price point. There are far better options in the neighborhood worth your money. read more

Corn is a no/never again and they still get 5 stars. The fried okra was even cold and they get 5 stars. I had to assemble my own tacos and THEY STILL GET 5 STARS! I don't even have to address the crispy rice I'm just going to thank God for it and ask that I'm also able to find room in the budget for it. read more

Nobu Chicago - Uber eats delivery - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went for the first time to celebrate a few birthdays. We chose the coldest night of the summer to go to the rooftop. 9/7/2024 when the temperature dropped into the 40s. We did dine-in first. The reservation was for 9 people. 2 of us arrived first and were seated immediately. The service in the restaurant was great, as well as when we transitioned to the rooftop. The staff all worked together as a team. No ask was above anyone to tend to. Food and drink delivery was prompt. Our used plates were cleared immediately when empty, and waters refreshed without asking. The ambiance was initially chill in the dining area. As the night went on, the lighting was dimmed, music was played a bit louder, and the vibe switched casual dining to hipster. My take on the food is that it's overpriced and underwhelming. Grant it some may say I didn't order the right thing and give it another whirl. However, for their price point and portion size (think smaller than tapas more like Polly Pocket, bite size). I wouldn't return on my dime to eat. I don't mind paying top dollar for a great meal/experience, but this wasn't it. I had sushi: shrimp tempura & soft-shell crab, and the Chi-Town cooler specialty cocktail. Loved the drink. Sushi was super basic, with no flavor. Others tried the tacos, yellowtail, edamame, crispy wings, sushi, oysters, rock shrimp tempura, shrimp and lobster spicy lemon sauce. For the most part, the others thought their food was good, but not filling, and were already thinking about what to eat once we left. The rooftop is spacious, has great views of the city, perfect photo ops, and has multiple heaters. Housekeeping items: Valet parking was $48 for about 6 hours. There's nearby metered parking, which may be hard to find during high traffic times as the West Loop is very busy on the weekends. Overall, the building is well kept, from the dining room to the rooftop and bathroom. As of now, there's no limit on the number of cards/forms of payment to take care of the check. read more

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I had sky high expectations for Nobu after years of hearing the hype, and was severely disappointed on our visit. To come into something with a high expectation usually isn't a great idea, but how could I not have this impression after hearing how great the sushi is for years. To put it mildly, when asked by a friend how I liked our dinner at Nobu, I responded that I couldn't stress my dissatisfaction enough. I don't often leave bad reviews, but I feel robbed by the $600 bill for two good tuna tacos and terrible, TERRIBLE maki (to be fair our bill was half liquor to deal with the poor experience). Maybe we ordered the wrong items, but wow this was an unimpressive evening. The food wasn't bad, it just wasn't the top tier "better than anything else" I was expecting. We had tuna crispy rice that wasn't great and lacked flavor with an unenjoyable chew, however the tuna tacos were top 3 all time very good tuna. The king crab tempura with sweet and sour sauce was excellent. I think where we went wrong was ordering spicy tuna and California rolls, more than half of each was left on the plate and we sent the house roll back. We never send food back, and overall this was a disappointing evening. read more

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Good lunch spot for a quiet & casual meal. I have been here twice thus far, it felt calming and a neat atmosphere. I had a birthday lunch and received birthday chocolates with candle, a nice touch! Good Japanese tea selection, fresh sushi, and well-prepared flavorful black cod. read more

Nobu Chicago - Celebratory birthday meal, cucumber sushi, & black cod with miso. - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of the most beautiful hotels I've ever stayed in* this coming from a Vegas girl! Had a chance to see a corner suite versus the regular room...every room seemed to have a beautiful view. They even have amazing toiletries haha if you're into that sort of thing. read more

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Nobu has fallen off! If you are thinking about coming for their brunch, save your money and go elsewhere! If you are like me and have heard about the Nobu brunch on social media, be warned that they change their items randomly. I took my family for Nobu brunch hoping to enjoy the sushi, nigiri, and other items that we saw advertised. When we went, it was two salads, a few rolls, some lukewarm breakfast items, and no nigiri. It's really shady to change up the high value items for your brunch without notice. The rest of the food was subpar. I emailed Nobu management notifying them on disappointment and they never responded. What a joke. I have been dining at various NOBU Destinations for 20 years and I'm done with them. This place is just trading on its name and reputation. There are plenty of better places to dine at. HARD PASS! read more

Was excited to try this place considering it's notoriety of quality and consistent dishes across all of it's locations. We had reservations and were sat immediately. The restaurant had a modern artistic look to it and appeared very classy. It wasn't too loud either. First up were cocktails and the lychee martini was so good we ordered another for dessert. It was very smooth and had a pleasant taste. Many of the menu items were offered as small plates so we were happy that we could try multiple things off the menu and not get overwhelmingly full. We started with the shishito peppers as an appetizer and then followed up with a cold dish and a warm dish. Our cold dish was the crispy rice with spicy tuna. It was a one-bite dish that was so delicious we wanted to order more but held off to be able to try other menu items haha. Our warm dish was the wagyu dumplings and they were just as good. For dessert, we ordered the warm date cake with gelato and it was unbelievable. I had never seen dates on a dessert menu and with it being made into a cake it was amazing! Our server was on top of everything. I accidentally spilled my drink at some point and he quickly cleaned it up for us and offered new napkins and drinks. He also gave us great suggestions for where to get drinks afterwards so we could continue the night. Overall, it was a beautiful place to enjoy dinner read more

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Came here for happy hour. The server was slow and ignored us, gave us a cheaper prices menu and then switched it out later. The food was just okay, good quality but taste was kind of off especially for the chicken karage. The salmon avocado maki was good, the tuna with crispy rice was okay but the tuna came out all mashed together. The ambiance in Nobu is nice, but all in all, would probably not come here for happy hour again, there are better places to go to spend your money. read more

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WORST experience ever!!! It took us 3 hours for the Omakase. After the 3rd dish, the wait was FOREVER, and it came out with peanuts, even though I clearly mentioned we have a nut allergy. After the 4th dish, I had to wait almost 30 minutes for the 5th dish--duck--that was cold, dry, and hard to eat because there was no knife or fork provided. The 5th dish was Halibut, and it was the worst Halibut ever--cold, dry, and overcooked. The server told us it was the last hot dish, but it wasn't hot at all. At the end of the meal, they asked us to pick whatever dessert we wanted. We chose the bento box, but they gave us the wrong thing, again. We spent almost $400 for nothing but frustration. I stopped taking pics after 5th dish. We been to Miami (1), Malibu (2) and Hawaii (1). But Chicago is the worst read more

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9/10 recommend. The Sunday Brunch Buffet was a hit. They have a great variety of fresh sushi and seafood in addition to your typical tasty breakfast staples. We each had 3 plates followed by perfectly decorated mini desserts which were fire. Our server Alexander was friendly and on top of things. Great value $$$ + bougie vibes per usual. read more

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Had friends visiting Chicago. We had been to Nobu-s in London, Dubai, NYC, SFO, etc. Decided to go to Nobu Chicago because we had great experiences at other ones. The hosts and the service were extremely underwhelming. Food was bad. Cocktails were worse. Ambiance was lobby bar meets wanna be sushi joint vibes. We left after appetitive and appetizers. I understand people will continue going here because it is Nobu but this place has nothing to do with the other Nobu-s. read more

We had such a great time! I love how each Nobu has a slightly different menu/preparation style, though that does lead to making comparisons with other locations... So I can't say this is the best Nobu. All of their hard hitters were so yummy and we especially enjoyed the king crab tacos and the black cod as always. The service was impeccable, and the vibes were really good too. Very chill, dim, and almost laid back. Always a great date night dinner, but also amazing for groups. read more

Food was fantastic. We ate family style. My son got one bite of the Miso Black Cod and took it from everyone else. O toro and barracuda nigiri were great. Service, as always, was perfect. read more

First time at Nobu Chicago and had the best time ever. Made reservation ahead of time and celebrated a fun GNO! We were seated on the 11th floor rooftop area and we had the best view of the Chicago skyline. The service is exceptional, special shout-out to our server who recommended amazing drinks and dishes for us to try. Everything we tried was fantastic, both the house specials Salmon NuStyle and and White Fish Tiradito were so fresh, light , and flavorful. The wagyu dumpling, Malibu wings , spicy tuna and black cod butter lettuce are all must try's. Each of them were beautifully presented and tasted incredible. The dessert need a special mention as to how amazing they were. The chocolate passion parfait and the banana cake ( can't remember the exact name) was a 10/10! Pictures are not doing justice to how delicious they were. If you have never been to Nobu, this is your sign to get reservations and enjoy fine dining Nobu style. Valet parking available and highly recommend it. read more

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My husband and I have stayed at Nobu a few times now. We came for our anniversary a few years ago. The service was beyond what I was expecting as previous we to the NY location and were treated like regular customers. Our server asked if we knew what we wanted or wanted her recommendations. We went with her recommendations and she did not disappoint. The Yellowtail Jalapeño and Wagyu sushi roll was out of this world and probably one of the best things I've ever had. We frequent their rooftop. If you stay at the hotel, they'll take extra care of you. Highly recommend their lychee martinis. Their brunch selection is small but tasty. read more

Nobu Chicago - Wagyu Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The rooftop was so gorgeous, such an amazing spot for drinks and small bites! Heads up that they have a much smaller menu than the downstairs but they still have the spicy tuna crispy rice!! Highly recommend on a nice summer night. read more

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Came here for a work dinner and the food is what it is... personally, I didn't think it was anything special for the price. I wouldn't come back here if I was spending my own $$- there's so many other amazing restaurants in the area that have bigger portions, better food and a better price tag. You're definitely just paying for the "Nobu" name to eat here which I totally get, but isn't for me. The only reason I'd come back here is to go to the rooftop to get a drink, but besides that I haven't had a reason to come back. read more

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My boyfriend and I were hopping around the West Loop on date night and decided to try out this spot! I heard the rooftop was amazing, and the view did not disappoint. We got there 10 minutes after opening, and plenty of tables were open. We were told they were all reserved and only the bar was open. OK, fine. We did not have a reservation. We get it. No problem. We got some drinks and stayed for about a little over an hour. Bar got crowded as others like us decided to spontaneously come in, but the majority of those tables stayed open the entire time. Seemed odd to me that the host would not offer a table with a time limit for when the reservations would have come in. We would have gladly stayed longer if the bar was not as crowded as it was, but lesson learned: make a reservation. read more

Nobu Chicago - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Maybe my 10th time at this location, and who knows how many times at Nobu generally and this was by first the worst experience we've ever had. Server seemed frazzled, was hard to track down. Several items (crispy tuna, teriyaki chicken) didn't come out or came out after everyone else in our party was finished with their meals. The octopus pasta is just stir fry. Octopus is cut into giant chunks and served with giant clunky vegetables. We were a party of 6 sitting at a round table, they put everyone's sushi on one platter so we either had to pass a giant platter around the table trying not to knock over drinks and other small plates, or stand up to reach across the table for our food. Then one of the guys who brought the food out was whispering or something when brining things to the table which made for the most awkward experience of just trying to figure out what he even wants from us or has for us. All around, not a great time and not what we planned for when bringing friends from out of town out for a nice dinner. read more

I've heard great things about nobu restaurant but was quiet disappointed with my visit at their brunch buffet. The service overall was great; our waitress was kind, the waiters by the buffet bar was attentive and worked hard to make sure the food is refilled as quickly as possible however, there's a delay in certain food on the buffet table which caused huge traffic with long lines. The quality of the sushi was decent, the selection was very limited with choice of 2 salads, shrimp cocktails, seafood ceviche, waffles, avocado toast and French toast (which I'm not a fan of any of these, perhaps it's not their specialty). The crispy tuna was tasty. The rest of the sushi option include salmon, yellowtail and tuna sushi which were just decent quality. Not good enough for it to be "high end"quality. At the end of the line is beef tenderloin, which is not flavored at all and the meat is not tender, and on the dry side. There's also dinner roll on the side which was quite embarrassing for a "nobu brunch buffet." The dessert table was not bad but nothing overwhelming good. Overall our experience was just okay as we arrived with high expectations but left with disappointment. read more

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View was lovely! We sat on the rooftop, the drinks and food were amazing. Highly recommend.