Oki-Nami Japanese Restaurant & Bar

Guys - we came here for the first time today and had the greatest cocktails EVER from Giuseppe. We're going to come back with friends... this guy rocks! Cheers for a great evening. Jim

Thanks again to the best barman in Brighton! Lyndsey
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Jim and Lynsdey
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, May 01, 2009

I would just like to comment on the poor service we have had from this restaurant. I booked Okinami for my wife's 40th birthday with 30 guests invited and were persuaded by Mike the owner to use his bar upstairs ( to obviously take advantage of the increased drinks sales no doubt ) and dine informally with the waiters bringing the food around on plates rather than a more formal sit down arrangement as we did originally book the private dining room at the back of the restaurant downstairs. Our concerns about people being not being satisfied were realised when the food was extremely slow coming out and there not being enough of it . There were many hungry people who hadn't eaten and were expecting a decent dinner.......this didn't happen. They must have taken a fortune over the bar and also demanded £20 per head . Having raised our concerns throughout the night the situation didn't approve and we decided to ask for a refund the following Monday after the Saturday's disappointments. Despite a constructive email which needed a chase there was an offer of a £5 voucher per person which we were not happy about . A further e-mail was sent again with a reminder and as of todays date we have still not heard from Mike the owner - its now April 8th and still no resolution. 30 customers lost I'm afraid Mike . I will be posting this on further review sites and I apologies to poeple who will read it more than once. Lovely venue shame about the food and the service !!!
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David Flower
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, April 08, 2009

I think the last review was pretty harsh, those people must have been VERY unlucky. I have ate there several times, and always had a great, timely, hot authentic meal. The manager has always been very friendly and had some great recommendations such as the plum wine. The waiters and waitresses have always been helpful, friendly and competent. The £5 lunch deal is great, as are the fantastic cocktails. Try the Japanese bloody Mary!!! And ... the sushi is divine! I have eaten in all the Japanese restaurant in Brighton and this one is by far the best!
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Shelley
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Sunday, March 29, 2009

We booked after seeing the restaurant from leaving the Brighton Dome. It looked great and we loved sushi.....how wrong we were. We booking ahead for a table at 9.00 on the 21st Feb 09. We arrived at 8.10 and we told the table wasn't ready for another 5 minutes. We were asked to the bar upstairs and we would be called for. After waiting for 20 minutes I went down to see and were told just another 5 minutes, that they were 'mega' rushed and were promised the table would be ready. We were complaining about the wait in the bar and also the price of the drinks there, when the barman came over and apologised and phoned down to the restaurant. Hey presto they had our table. We ordered fine and the starters came very quickly. They were not too bad, nothing to right on here about though. We were waiting a while for our mains to come, when a waitress cleared our table of placemats and asked if were wanted dessert! Our mains would be nice I said! Eventually we did get our mains which was extremely disappointing. My main of seabass was luke warm and the vegatables were just a mush of onion and a few carrots! My partners sizzling platter, well....was not sizzling. I think they had made the mains earlier as the waitresses were only interested about clearing the restaurant. The Chef/Manager never asked if our food was any good and was more interesting in drinking sake with a group of pals. I complained to the waitress who apologised and said would get the manager. Heh presto after waiting for over 20 minutes, no manager and were the only ones sat at a table waiting for a bill or someone, anyone to talk to us!! I would never set foot in the place again and told the waitress the same. It is a over hyped, over dressed restaurant and definitely doesn't portray japenese food as I know it!
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Kerry Martin
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 0
Monday, March 16, 2009

Booked a table for two for valentines 2009 as we love sushi. After waiting nearly an hour for our starter, which was from sets menus as that was all they were offering that night, we never saw the second course. We waited another 40 minutes before we walked out. Two free drinks were offered but I went to eat, not drink. I went down stairs and asked to pay for my drinks and cancel food as were very annoyed. The head seater/manager was understanding and didn't charge us. The worst point was the bar upstairs which only seat 3/4 in the eating area, but this night was like sitting in a Yates on a saturday with very strong and offensive language for all to hear. The service was very unprofessional with a waitress bursting into laughter at my girlfriends distress whilst talking to the manager.

By the time we had left no other restaurants were serving so our night was ruined. There much better sushi places to go in brighton. Pompoko is less than 100 meters away and Moshi Moshi is unbeatable.
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robert tarrant
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, February 15, 2009

I went to this restaurant recently with my parents and what a HUGE disapointment. Dispite the fact that I told them it was my mums birthday and that it was quiet, we couldnt have been placed in a worse table. The restaurant was freezing cold, food was too cold and the service was unprofessional. Some on the food was nice and they were not rude by the service was very over the top and they behaved as though they had never owned a restaurnat before. There was a big air of unauthenticity about the whole place too, wehn being served by non-Japanese people and seeing non-Japanese people walking around in full costume trying to be "trendy"...I can not for the life of me understand what FBS likes about this place so much. The sushi rice was too cold, cocktails weren't great, although quite cheap, and the waitress also started packing up the table before my Dad had finished eating...nothing more rude than that.
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Tizwazrip
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 5
Sunday, November 30, 2008

I've been to Oki nami several times now in the last few weeks, each time I've been impressed with the quality fo the food. I'm suprised how many people have written reviews on this site saying that they couldn't tell the difference between Oki nami and somewhere like Yo Sushi - don't get me wrong, I like Yo Sushi but the quality of rice and fish at Oki nami is much much better. They also do some things like pickled plum and natto in their sushi plates which more mainstream places often shy away from.

All in all, it's yummy, if you go Sun-Tue you can pre-book online for half-price sushi plates, and the staff have never been anything but uber-polite and friendly. I'd recommend this place to any of my friends.
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irvingwashington - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, November 24, 2008

I went with my family recently for Sunday and it was very disappointing and expensive. Although there was only one other diner in at the time, the two waitress and waiter between them still managed to take 25 mins to prepare our drinks order. Finally when our drinks arrived the waitress managed to spill some of them. Also, the food portion size was small and expensive for what it was, the music was too loud and inappropriate for a restuarant. All in all we left hungry, in a bad mood, and considerably out of pocket! Don't go, it's rubbish.
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Adrian Sayles
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Monday, November 10, 2008

Disappointing. Maybe it served us right going here on the back of some hype in The Guardian, but even so, this was pretty poor.

My starter was pork gyoza - a pretty straightforward dish I've had in numerous Japanese places - and this was one of the worst examples.

Main was the special - a seabass teriyaki - but either they don't know what teriyaki is or this was a very poor example. My other half had scallops for starter - which was excellent - but also had to endure the seabass teriyaki for main.

Excluding drinks, this came to £25 a head - which I thought was pretty steep.

In summary, only come here if you like the celeb association and you're desperate to hear the Fat Boy Slim-selected background music.
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Albion71
Tuesday, August 26, 2008

I visited this restaurant on the 26th June, my birthday and even though they don't (or didn't that day) have the balcony upstairs open they let us sit up there (and subsequently more people wanted to after). The manager and all the staff were amazing and made my day. Gorgeous food, never had tofu so good, and the fish looked perfect. Please visit this place, you wont be disappointed-great location, friendly manager and staff and amazing food what more could you ask for. My boyfriend and i cant wait to go back.. Thank You
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Clare
Friday, July 04, 2008