All the autumn feels on Saturday night at seriously gorgeous new Clifton venue, Kibou Clifton! Officially opening today (4th October, good luck guys 💃🏼) it’s a Japanese hot kitchen and bar. Sushi is on the menu as you’d expect, but there’s also a mix of classic and contemporary Japanese dishes on offer. Plus a range of themed cocktails, beers and of course sake 🥃

The interior was equally as impressive as the exterior. A variety of Japanese murals grace the walls and the stairs are a work of art in themselves. The shrubbery continued indoors with a ‘tree’ at the top of said beautiful stairs 🌳 and the low lighting combined with the occasional dash of Tokyo style neon added to the ambiance. Seating is varied with the option of booths, tables hidden in various nooks and cranny’s or bar seating next to the kitchen, all in sumptuous (and very comfy for my derrière) velvet. The tunes were ‘proper banging’ and it was very much a party atmosphere (if at times a little loud for chat) 🥳

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After a few hiccups getting the food out, we tried the following:

🐓 Chicken Karaage (fried chicken)

🇯🇵 Pumpkin korroke (croquettes)

🍤 Ebi stak (Nori based toast topped with seasoned minced king prawn & sesame)

🍗 Chicken yakitori skewers

🍄 Teriyaki Mushroom skewers

🍤 Tempura prawns

🍣 A variety of sushi

🍨 Mocha Ice Cream

If you’d asked me previously do I eat sushi I’d have said no (sorry 🙈😱), but after a few glasses of wine I threw caution to the wind and tried everything put in front of me – and loved it! Particularly the salmon and avocado roll and the nigiri . The fried chicken was a bit hit or miss, one bowl I sampled was full of smaller shrivelled pieces while the other was big juicy chunks, but I’d order again if the latter was guaranteed. Meanwhile the prawn toast was the nicest I’ve ever had and the tempura prawns were top notch 😋

Verdict:

Overall we had a great night. I know some guests were struggling with hanger begin with, but I think teething problems are pretty normal for a press night and it wouldn’t stop me going back. The food we had was lovely and there was just a great vibe to the place, so I’d happily return again for a fun date night or dinner and a catch up with friends ❤️

Disclosure:

This was a PR invite to Kibou for their launch event and the food and drink was complimentary.

Where:

16 Kings Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4AB

Thanks for reading,

Lizzie x