I went to Festival Japan for lunch for the first time in a number of years. They've redecorated and the decor is gorgeous. The food and service was a wonderful as always. My only critique would be the fact that they no longer serve “standalone” sushi at lunch; that is now only available at dinner. However, the lunch menu offered lots of choice and which included a sushi roll with most of the Bento box options. I will go again, for lunch and dinner, and highly recommend this restaurant. 
Somto Odili
Amazing food! Amazing service! The owner is also so kind.I recommend the Dragon sushi, Gyoza, scallops, and shrimp tempura.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Tempura
Good place to grab a bite for lunch or dinner. The salmon sashimi was fresh and buttery, the maki rolls (spicy salmon, spicy tuna, rainbow) were flavorful and uniquely dressed with possibly seaweed and horseradish. Service is friendly and casual. It's not fine dining though and the restaurant's current 4-star rating on OpenTable is too high. Ambiance feels like a bar and cafeteria in a basement. At one end of the space, there were a couple of tatami rooms and a few tables divided by screens. More of that would be great!
Yum Yum YOW
Top quality Japanese food. We loved everything we ate and especially the izakaya menu. The buttery soy flaming scallops were delicious. The sushi was super fresh, the chicken yakitori was perfectly grilled and juicy and the udon noodle soup broth was super umami. I loved how the batter on the tempura stayed crispy but also melted in your mouth. Definitely will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sabrina Jubran
Ordered kamikaze salmon sushi roll which unfortunately fell apart as soon as you tried to pick it up and had red onion in it which over powered all the other flavors. The tempura was decent. Unfortunately the tataki chicken skewers also had an overwhelming onion flavor and were overcooked. The scallops were beautifully presented but I also found them a bit overcooked for my liking.Overall for $80 worth of food the portions were a bit small and the flavors were not there for me.The service was good and it is in a good location downtown. I did find it surprising that we were the only customers dining for the entire duration of the meal.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Jennifer Ng Gemmell
This restaurant used to be our date night place back in the late 90s. We have not been back since returning from the US. Glad to see that it has endured the times.The food is still high quality and impeccable service. A tad expensive but still worth it.Nice renovations but I miss the original tatami rooms that were more intimate and authentic.Parking: Across the street. Public paid parking. Not expensive.
I love Japanese food and Festival Japan has been my long time fav. for at least 3 good reasons: 1.The beautiful and dedicated hostess greets you with a big smile before you even sit down; 2. Japanese chef, yes chef from Japan makes you the most authetic sushi in town, and 3. Food is always fresh, with fair prices.I had a desert this time, besides my usual order of great sushi, tempera cheesecake. I am glad that I ventured something new, as I am normally not a desert eater. Crispy outside and delicate inside; not too rich nor too sweet, just the way I like it!Find your own delights the next time when you go to Festival Japan, or let the wonderful staff surprise you with a new choice or two. Sit back and enjoy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Samantha Liu
This is a great place for authentic sushi and sashimi in Ottawa and Gatineau areas.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Donald Qi
Festival Japan has become our go-to Japanese restaurant in Ottawa. The cuisine is unique and something we rarely find in Toronto. However, during our recent visit, we were pleasantly surprised to experience a newly renovated restaurant with a fresh interior and even discover a new izakaya menu. Initially, I was a bit hesitant, wondering if our family of five, spanning different ages, would enjoy it as much as our usual selections. To our amazement, every dish we tried left us thoroughly impressed. This culinary experience was a testament to the craftsmanship and expertise of a Japanese Chef who brings decades of skill to every plate. I wholeheartedly recommend every Ottawa resident and visitor to explore the delightful new menu at Festival Japan. Thank you for surpassing our expectations and leaving us more satisfied than ever!
Great food at good prices. Just wish the waitress was a bit more attentive.
Owen Munn
Jazzworks Jam, third Thursday evening, each month. Great music, food and drinks!
Ahmed Minhas
Pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food vs. the price. Will come here again for the sushi and sashimi.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
ThomasG
This a traditional Japanese restaurant, complete with tatami rooms. It is encouraging to know that such a place continues to exist, when everything else seems to be all you can eat sushi in a fast food atmosphere.
Chris Rutte
Had a few rolls, outstanding. Lots of meat, less rice filler. Spicy salmon roll was chunk salmon not minced. Delicious!
Best shrimp tempura of all time. Unique agadashi tofu is excellent. Proper nigiri a la carte.Parking: Typical downtown parking.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chirashi Sushi, Shrimp Tempura, Steak Teriyaki
I went to Festival Japan for lunch for the first time in a number of years. They've redecorated and the decor is gorgeous. The food and service was a wonderful as always. My only critique would be the fact that they no longer serve “standalone” sushi at lunch; that is now only available at dinner. However, the lunch menu offered lots of choice and which included a sushi roll with most of the Bento box options. I will go again, for lunch and dinner, and highly recommend this restaurant. 
Amazing food! Amazing service! The owner is also so kind.I recommend the Dragon sushi, Gyoza, scallops, and shrimp tempura.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Tempura
Good place to grab a bite for lunch or dinner. The salmon sashimi was fresh and buttery, the maki rolls (spicy salmon, spicy tuna, rainbow) were flavorful and uniquely dressed with possibly seaweed and horseradish. Service is friendly and casual. It's not fine dining though and the restaurant's current 4-star rating on OpenTable is too high. Ambiance feels like a bar and cafeteria in a basement. At one end of the space, there were a couple of tatami rooms and a few tables divided by screens. More of that would be great!
Top quality Japanese food. We loved everything we ate and especially the izakaya menu. The buttery soy flaming scallops were delicious. The sushi was super fresh, the chicken yakitori was perfectly grilled and juicy and the udon noodle soup broth was super umami. I loved how the batter on the tempura stayed crispy but also melted in your mouth. Definitely will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ordered kamikaze salmon sushi roll which unfortunately fell apart as soon as you tried to pick it up and had red onion in it which over powered all the other flavors. The tempura was decent. Unfortunately the tataki chicken skewers also had an overwhelming onion flavor and were overcooked. The scallops were beautifully presented but I also found them a bit overcooked for my liking.Overall for $80 worth of food the portions were a bit small and the flavors were not there for me.The service was good and it is in a good location downtown. I did find it surprising that we were the only customers dining for the entire duration of the meal.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
This restaurant used to be our date night place back in the late 90s. We have not been back since returning from the US. Glad to see that it has endured the times.The food is still high quality and impeccable service. A tad expensive but still worth it.Nice renovations but I miss the original tatami rooms that were more intimate and authentic.Parking: Across the street. Public paid parking. Not expensive.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegetable Tempura, Chirashi Sushi, Miso Soup
I love Japanese food and Festival Japan has been my long time fav. for at least 3 good reasons: 1.The beautiful and dedicated hostess greets you with a big smile before you even sit down; 2. Japanese chef, yes chef from Japan makes you the most authetic sushi in town, and 3. Food is always fresh, with fair prices.I had a desert this time, besides my usual order of great sushi, tempera cheesecake. I am glad that I ventured something new, as I am normally not a desert eater. Crispy outside and delicate inside; not too rich nor too sweet, just the way I like it!Find your own delights the next time when you go to Festival Japan, or let the wonderful staff surprise you with a new choice or two. Sit back and enjoy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is a great place for authentic sushi and sashimi in Ottawa and Gatineau areas.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Festival Japan has become our go-to Japanese restaurant in Ottawa. The cuisine is unique and something we rarely find in Toronto. However, during our recent visit, we were pleasantly surprised to experience a newly renovated restaurant with a fresh interior and even discover a new izakaya menu. Initially, I was a bit hesitant, wondering if our family of five, spanning different ages, would enjoy it as much as our usual selections. To our amazement, every dish we tried left us thoroughly impressed. This culinary experience was a testament to the craftsmanship and expertise of a Japanese Chef who brings decades of skill to every plate. I wholeheartedly recommend every Ottawa resident and visitor to explore the delightful new menu at Festival Japan. Thank you for surpassing our expectations and leaving us more satisfied than ever!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great food at good prices. Just wish the waitress was a bit more attentive.
Jazzworks Jam, third Thursday evening, each month. Great music, food and drinks!
Pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food vs. the price. Will come here again for the sushi and sashimi.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
This a traditional Japanese restaurant, complete with tatami rooms. It is encouraging to know that such a place continues to exist, when everything else seems to be all you can eat sushi in a fast food atmosphere.
Had a few rolls, outstanding. Lots of meat, less rice filler. Spicy salmon roll was chunk salmon not minced. Delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5