Basho Restaurant & Lounge

I ate at Basho as a part of a group of 7 last week. It had been a long while since I had eaten there, and in the past I was always quite satisfied. But I have to say this most recent experience was disappointing and gave me the sense they have become complacent– which is rather odd, given how many great new restaurants have emerged to compete directly with Basho in recent years. Importantly, the food was still pretty great, although the menu seems a bit stale. My major complaint is that our meal took ages to arrive and when it did, the food was cold. Everyone agreed on this. And the place really wasn’t very busy– I really can’t imagine how they don’t know how to handle a large party after all these years. Also, several items on the menu were unavailable– including seafood dishes for which the place is well known. It should also be noted that the place just seems pricey, given how tired the menu and décor is becoming. My main point is that we always loved this place, but given all the new offerings in St. John’s, they’re going to have to work harder to keep my business in the future.

Not quite Japanese… it’s more like Newfoundlasian food.
The sushi was decent. There was a clever surf and turf appetizer (although the size of an entrée) that consisted of beef and scallops. Delicious!
The cod entrée was ok but would have been better with halibut but unfortunately the shipment was diverted to another establishment as part of the volatile fish market underground.
As part of the dessert platter, the cheesecake was quite good.
Met the owner… super nice guy.
If you get tired of fish and chips, not a bad option for something a bit different.

Had a birthday dinner here with the wife. St. John’s is a very small town (I’m from LA and the Mrs. is from Chicago), but this is definitely one of the nicer establishments for food and drink. The upstairs had a full bar and lounge area. We came for dinner as they opened at 6pm, but I can imagine this place to be a nice spot for nightlife.
Food was very good. Non of the menu is cheap, but in St John’s it seems to be only opposite ends of the spectrum. Where food is fast and inexpensive, or much more upscale.
Do come visit if you want a «night out.»

I’ve been here many times and never disappointed. Best place for sushi in downtown St. John’s…I’ve tried them all.

Wanted to bring some people in for dinner. No menu online. They don’t even have a website. What is this 1996?

I had the strip loin beef with a surf-​n-​turf starter…(yes in a Japanese restaurant) Best beef I have ever had (Colby beef) in a restaurant — the Prosciutto cream and truffle fries were a nice compliment — a little too much oil on the salad — Rick had the tempura seafood and veggie appetizer then had the spicey scallop roll (X2) and Tuna roll — safe but delicious — we will be back — waiter was amazing
Oh and the drinks made us drunk

An amazing experience! The deco of the restaurant is very fancy. I suggest going with a group of people that are willing to share their food just so you can get a taste of more than one dish. We ordered 7 – 8 meals between us all at the table, which gave us the opportunity to sample many of their delicious dishes. I highly recommend the melon wrapped in prosciutto.

This place is fantastic! I’m from Vancouver and know the sushi there well and the sushi here is as good. You can get the same premium sushi for cheaper in Vancouver but hey for St John’s this is a great place to have. This place has one of my favourite ambiances in the city. Get one of the cocktails as the menu is really good. The beef carpaccio was excellent as well as the sushi. Our server was really friendly too.

I’m not really sure how this place gets such good reviews. Maybe the people that review it haven’t really been to other places. I’ve been to several other «upscale Japanese» restaurants and Basho sadly didn’t make the cut. It’s nice for the area but the food was way over-​priced for the portions that were offered. I got the tuna tartar for an appetizer and got MAYBE 2 tablespoons of tuna with about 4 tablespoons of guac surrounding it. Not very flavorful and for $ 18, I would have passed if I saw it first.
The drinks were delicious and I’d recommend those but as far as the food, I have experienced MUCH better (albeit outside of St. John’s) at a much better price value.

I recently visited Basho again and was not disappointed. Our group started with a large platter of sushi which was fresh and delicious. Sashimi was next and was equally tasty. For a main course I ordered the steak which was perfectly cooked and so tender it felt like it melted in my mouth.

We love Basho! It’s our de facto place to go to for a celebration… you know those milestones in life that are worthy of a good cocktail? Well, Basho has the best cocktails in town! I adore the Orange Creamsicle… adore! It’s not sweet and milky as the name would suggest, but refreshing and delicious. Moving on to the food, it has always been solid and doesn’t disappoint. We order the sushi, the sashimi salad, the seafood tempura, and often the surf and turf appetizer. Basho also has interesting desserts but I haven’t been blown away by one of them yet… I’ll keep trying though!

We had a great time with a lovely meal in a lovely classy setting. The sticker shock wore off and we enjoyed great startera mains drinks and dessert. Top notch service and quality for sushi on the ocean! They did not charge us for the roll I couldnt eat (when it arribed it turned out I was allergic to one ingredient)… In fact they comped us a replacement! Expensive but a great night out!

Great place. Love the redone bldg. Excellent atmosphere for a night out.

A great Japanese restaurant in little old St. John’s. Whodathunkit?
Tak, the proprietor, is a first-​generation Canadian whose Japanese roots show strongly throughout the menu at Basho. The sushi is very good and the lobster with ginger and scallions is great. I have also heard good things about the steak, but I cannot comment on its quality; I don’t go to great Japanese restaurants to eat steak. Try Basho for something different.