KIBOUsushi - Cheltenham

I popped into Kibou for lunch during a shopping trip in Cheltenham, what a fantastic find! Even on a Sunday lunchtime the restaurant was popular spot and had a great vibe about it. Service was excellent, both polite and prompt. The food was outstanding, in fact so good I ordered an extra sharer plate I was so keen to try something else and extend my stay. This was my first Kibou experience and it certainly won’t be my last !

Fantastic food and drink menu. A lovely experience. Highly recommended. A vast menu covering many styles of Japanese cooking. Really interesting cocktails and mocktails (mixed to order by Jacob)

I always want to celebrate special occasions at Kibou because they make an effort to surprise their customers and they do care. I recommend Kibou to friends and told them that this restaurant won't let them down.

The story: Two weeks prior, peeking through the restaurant window, I was intrigued to see the kitchen artizans hard at work creating sushi platters that looked vibrant but also elegant. On the 14th November at lunchtime, I was looking forward to trying Kibou as Japanese cuisine is one of my favourites. It's very hard to see the same level of unique variety that Kibou has compared to the few Japanese restaurants I am local to. We wanted to try an array of items and the mini seasonal menu had just been released in time for our visit as well. The food: The Jo Moriawase and New Style Sashimi were great introductions to the first impressions of the quality and range of the dishes available as they were the assortment dishes. Our server provided us with guidance on what we should try first on the Jo Moriawase in order to prevent ending up with eating soggy nori which we appreciated. The Black Cod Nigiri is nothing I have ever tried before so this was also an interesting experience for our tastebuds. My dad has a tough palate to appease but to my surprise, he was satisfied with the Spider Roll Temaki and Chashu Ramen (he thought the pork broth could have been less strong but nonetheless still enjoyed, not like the artificial flavourings you get in an instant ramen if you know what I mean). The Chirashizushi was great for me as I love my sashimi. I didn't realise the yellow portions were actually tamago/egg roll until I tasted it. Some sort of gastronomical wizardry? My mum really lavished the Yaki Udon textures, with the udon noodles having the right amount of nudge needed to chew and biting into the nice crispy outer layer of the tofu. My only regret is not having enough room to try the desserts. Overall, a unique adventure for the tastebuds! The price: If you are extremely budget conscious, perhaps I would not be able to recommend Kibou to you. For a family of three, we were about £40-50 per person. As of my visit, the service charge is 10%. Don't get me wrong though, I think the service charge is fair and reasonable because our experience with the staff we talked to and came by our table were lovely. The atmosphere: Family-friendly but also evening bar feel. Sakura Cherry Blossom and other Japanese-related art themes run throughout the restaurant. The service: We didn't have to wait very long to be seated or served. The waiting staff were attentive, friendly and helpful. The kitchen staff did an amazing job with the food. Would I come again?: Yes, as a treat! Plus I want to try the dessert next time! :

This restaurant has a great positive vibe, great food and wonderful service. Before dinner, our family sat up at the bar for a drink, loved the non alcoholic rhubarb and jasmine fizz cocktail. Family favourite food wise has to be the dynamite prawns and the tempura prawns. The menu can be overwhelming especially if you’re not used to ordering sushi and Japanese food, we always tend to over order but that’s ok, we can package any leftovers to enjoy the next day! And the staff are always there to guide you through. The yuzu cheesecake got the family vote of ‘dessert of the night’ To summarise, another great night af Kibou, who consistently deliver tasty food, delicious cocktails, great staff and a wonderful atmosphere.