Azabu Ponsonby

The food is so amazing here, I come here almost everyday
Keep an eye out for their specials as they are the best

Very expensive for the size of the meal, you have to pay for sides which makes the bill sky high. We left hungry despite spending over $100 for 2 people. My soft shell crab had such a thick crunchy batte it overwhelmed the delicate flavour of the crab.

The service is always exceptional here - friendly and very professional. But gifting us complimentary drinks because of a food delay was a lovely surprise and above and beyond.:)

Absolutely loved our experience at Azabu. The food was absolutely divine and cocktails were delicious. Servers were super attentive and professional. Definitely recommend the tuna ceviche and the sirloin.
Just a side note to please get the lounge seat fixed.

The decor is exceptional and the ambience it provides made us feel right at home. Staff were friendly and prompt. The menu was large and it had something for everyone, and it also has a great kids menu as well. I got the volcano prawn sushi and the crab tempura. The volcano prawn sushi was some of the best sushi I have had in NZ. The flavour was rich and intense but light enough that I demolished the whole plate. The prawn tempura inside was light, beautiful and fresh. The caviar was an excellent addition to the sushi as it gave a satisfying crunch, and the saltiness oppesed the spice perfectly.

The Softshell crab tempura was also pretty good, however I would definitely recommend it for sharing as a whole Soft shell crab was too much deep fried food for me. The batter was perfect and light though, and the crab meat was beautifully cooked. My favourite part of the crab was the crunchy legs.

Another dish that I could recommend is the tuna tostadas. Someone else on the table had then and they told me they get them everytime, and they looked delicious but at that point I had to hold myself back

Will definitely recommend and also return.

Food was beautifully presented and tasted delicious too. Had the beef tostada, spider roll, volcano roll, karaage, and octopus among other things. Bathrooms and table clean. Nice interior and good atmosphere, although a bit noisy at times due to tables being close together. Service a bit slow.

Nice location, good presentation, great food. Service was a bit robotic, no real warmth or interest coming from the waiters (that’s fine we can let the food do the talking).

The volcano sushi roll (not pictured) is a must-try, and comes with a bit of a show. The dessert pavlova, well let’s just say there is a reason I didn’t put a picture of that, not good, sticking to the plate like glue.

Still despite this a 4/5. When the food is on point it is that good.

Excellent friendly staff, food was amazing and have already recommended Azabu to friends and family. Will definitely go back.

Amazing food and service. Only issue is that tables are packed quite tight together. Not great in Covid times, nor for a romantic dinner experience.

So disappointing. The restaurant used to be fabulous but the food has gone downhill, the service is appalling and the prices have gone up. Bao buns on the menu said pork belly but they were stuffed with cheap pulled pork. The waitresses had no training, we’re understaffed, stressed and grumpy and they didn’t know how to serve, bringing new courses without clearing the table. They managed to spill every bottle of wine on the table they served. Truly spoilt what used to be a great night out. Then they served the sashimi without new plates or chopsticks and we had to ask for soy sauce! In a Japanese restaurant! We only had our starters then left.

The food here is incredible. Everything is exquisitely made. Definitely a great spot for special occasions.

If you are thinking about going to Azabu for Valentines Day, turn back right now. At $115 per person, the food was questionable. I thought the problem was me halfway through because I heard such great reviews from friends. What sealed the deal for me was the last item of the menu. A pavlova! You know those mini pavlova you get at supermarkets during Christmas? Yes. For a $115 set menu. They have great cocktails though hence 2 stars.

Disappointing. Used to be a very good Japanese restaurant but not any more. Now more like one of those South-asian fusion tapa places with Pavlova on dessert menu. Not going back in a hurry.

Lovely romantic dinner setting. Dishes were served in small tapa style for sharing, 5-6 dishes between two people should do the trick. Highlights for us were the kingfish ceviche, lobster tostada and black tiger prawn dumpling. I’m sure the other dishes were good too but in the grand scheme of things, it was just okay in comparison to the others.

My partner and I have always been fans of Azabu but tend to save it for "date night". We recently brought our 5yo for the first time. Our meals were good (as usual) and he loved his bento box. Couple of stars off on this occasion as his bento was supposed to come with chicken dumplings, but we weren't told they were actually prawn until our kiddo spat his first bite out in revulsion. Would have been good to know that earlier, as we would have just gotten him sushi.

We have wanted to try Azabu for ages and finally got a chance to try. Got to say, a bit disappointed. For all the talk of Peru meets Japan the only Peruvian influence we could find was a beef tataki tostada, if that is even Nikkei cuisine I don't know.
The sesame dressing I'm pretty sure was out of a Kewpie bottle (I have it at home) and seemed to be the dominant flavor throughout the courses. The highlight was warm cabbage with.sesame dressing. The cerviche tasting platter was okay but if you're a bit put off by fish tasting like fish a couple of the varieties were pretty close to being too much for my partner.

All up we has 7 dishes and spent 140 bucks so not cheap. Honestly, I went in with maybe too much expectation but was underwhelmed. We even stopped on the way home for 'second dinner'

Good ambience for a date night as the food is meant to be shared together. Small gatherings among friends would also be delightful.

Food 5 stars, but the restaurant cleanliness and the bathroom 3 stars. For that price, One expects more hygiene

What a great vibe!
The staff is so nice and accommodative!
The drinks for 2-3 people are so great for sun! The whole drinks menu is very original.
Good was great. Small portions but that's what Japanese food is about. The steak (in mains) was like absolute butter and full of flavour.
Def worth the buzz! Lots of restaurants in NZ mess up with sushi too much with adding too much to it. These guys nail the thin line in between. I like simple fresh sushi, and this was was absolute delicious.

Cosy restaurant, with a wonderful, interesting selection on the menu. Staff very friendly and professional. Highly recommended.