Onakaya restaurant — Restaurant in Nice

We were excited to try out this restaurant after seeing its menu online and reading all the good reviews.

We had 2 “omakase” menus at 85€ per person which was a lovely experience, they will ask if you prefer to end your meal with a sweet or savoury dish and tailor it accordingly.

What was disappointing is that the third person in our group wanted to try their signature black cod, only to be told when we wanted to order that it was not available. This was unfortunately not even mentioned to us when they were explaining to menu and the special items of the day.

We changed the black cod order to beef, and 5 minutes later the waiter came back to tell us they were also out of beef (?!) so our friend had no choice but to choose the chicken cutlet.

A few moments later, the waiter came to tell us again that the wine we selected was also not available (!!) , you can imagine we were not very pleased with the overall experience as we opted for the first seating at 7pm and yet the items we wanted to order were all unavailable.

At the end of the meal we were rushed to make payment as they needed our table for the second seating which we could understand. But upon checking the bill, they charged us for the beef (which was unavailable) AND the chicken, so we had to get them to correct the bill.

The omakase menu is billed “per item” and not “per menu”, so we asked for 2 minutes so as to double check the new bill. The waiter was very firm in telling us “NO, it’s not possible as I need your table and I can calculate it with you right now on the spot.” We didn’t appreciate this lack of courtesy, it is certainly against the Japanese culture and the feeling of being transported to Japan that Onaka are trying to recreate.

While the omakase menu was delicious, I’m not sure we would return as the service was...

Top quality sushi here. Absolutely order the grilled chicken skewers - the barbeque/grill flavour is insanely good and has such an izakazya feel. I would happily order 2-3 of that dish in retrospect. I also had the tuna futomaki and ikura which were exceptional. Futomaki comes with 8 pieces (I know it shows 6 on my photo, but I ate two already!).

My husband doesn't eat raw fish, so he enjoyed the chicken skewers, he loved the prawn tempura (best we've had, no dipping sauce needed as seasoned perfectly!) and ordered chicken katsu - small point to note is that it doesn't come with a curry sauce but a sesame dip which also contains peanuts. As we were allergic this was swapped for a mayonnaise sauce (but my husband also dislikes mayonnaise!). He said the chicken katsu was battered brilliantly with delicious seasoning, but could have really done with a curry sauce.

Also had the tasting flight of 3 chilled sakes with a good explanation by the staff about the origin and flavour profile of each, and which foods it would pair well with.

I would be very happy to come here again, now we know which meat dishes to order for husband. Every night we walked past and it was always busy. Highly recommend if you are a...

If you know sushi and sake, you’ll feel right at home here. My litmus test is always whether toro and chutoro are on the menu—and this place did not disappoint. The quality of the fish was exceptional, prepared and presented with the kind of care you rarely see outside Japan.

The chef, an alumnus of Nobu, has clearly brought world-class technique to Nice while embracing the best of the Riviera. In addition to classic cuts like toro, he also works with carefully selected local fish—choosing only what a true sushi chef would select based on quality. The result is a menu that feels both authentic and connected to place.

The sake program was equally outstanding. A very traditional unfiltered sake was offered alongside hot sake, properly served in earthenware as tradition dictates. That attention to detail set the tone for the entire experience.

Service was warm, attentive, and welcoming without ever being overbearing. The ratings you see online are accurate—this is as good as it gets for sushi in Nice, and it holds its own against serious sushi destinations anywhere.

Highly recommended for anyone who truly appreciates...