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# Nokori – Elegant Japanese Bar and Restaurant in Sunnyvale, CA
Nokori, located in the Tetra Hotel in Sunnyvale, CA, is an upscale bar and restaurant that offers a unique blend of Japanese whiskey and izakaya-style dining. This establishment has quickly become a favorite among locals and visitors alike, thanks to its stylish ambiance, high-quality drinks, and thoughtful menu. Nokori is not just a bar; it embodies a cultural experience, showcasing the elegance of Japanese hospitality in the heart of Silicon Valley. With its modern design and a focus on exceptional service, Nokori has garnered positive reviews, highlighting its impressive cocktail selection and inviting atmosphere.

## History
### The story of Nokori
Nokori was founded with the vision of creating a sophisticated space that combines the art of Japanese drinking culture with modern dining experiences. Nestled within the Tetra Hotel, Nokori aims to provide a welcoming environment for both hotel guests and local patrons, offering a unique escape from the bustling tech scene of Silicon Valley.

### Milestones and growth
- Opening in 2022 as part of the Tetra Hotel.
- Gained recognition for its innovative cocktail menu and izakaya-style dishes.
- Featured on KQED for its elegant atmosphere and unique offerings.
- Established a loyal customer base among tech professionals and locals.

### Cultural and local influence
Nokori has made a significant impact on the local dining scene, filling a gap for high-quality bars in the South Bay area. Its focus on Japanese whiskey and izakaya-style small plates has introduced many to the nuances of Japanese culinary traditions, fostering a greater appreciation for this culture among its diverse clientele.

### Continuing the tradition
As Nokori continues to grow, it remains committed to honoring Japanese traditions while adapting to modern tastes. The bar's emphasis on quality ingredients, meticulous preparation, and exceptional service reflects a dedication to maintaining the high standards expected in both Japanese dining and hospitality.

## Community
### Community involvement
Nokori actively engages with the local community, hosting events that celebrate Japanese culture and cuisine. The bar often collaborates with local businesses and organizations to promote cultural awareness and foster connections within the community.

### Community notion about the place
Patrons appreciate Nokori for its unique offerings and inviting atmosphere. Many reviews highlight the bar as a refreshing addition to the local nightlife, providing a space where people can unwind and enjoy quality drinks in a stylish setting. The community views Nokori as a valuable asset, enhancing the dining landscape in Sunnyvale.

### Events and gatherings
Nokori hosts various events, including whiskey tastings, cocktail classes, and themed nights that celebrate Japanese culture. These gatherings not only attract regular customers but also draw in new visitors eager to experience the bar's offerings. The space is also available for private events, making it a popular choice for celebrations and corporate gatherings.

## Offerings
### What Nokori offers
Nokori specializes in a curated selection of Japanese whiskeys and craft cocktails, alongside a menu of izakaya-style dishes. The bar's ambiance is designed to enhance the drinking and dining experience, featuring modern decor and comfortable seating arrangements.

### Dining and food experience
The food menu at Nokori is inspired by traditional Japanese izakaya fare, offering a variety of small plates perfect for sharing. Signature dishes include chicken karaage, torched Hokkaido scallops, and a selection of seasonal vegetables. The emphasis on fresh ingredients and authentic flavors ensures a memorable dining experience.

### Events and packages
Nokori offers special packages for group events, including customized menus and drink selections. This flexibility allows guests to tailor their experience, whether for a corporate gathering or a celebratory occasion with friends.

### Facilities and features
- Stylish bar area with intimate seating.
- Spacious dining area with views of the hotel lobby.
- Outdoor patio for al fresco dining.
- Private event space available for bookings.
- Extensive selection of Japanese whiskeys and craft cocktails.

## Pros and Cons
### Key insights from reviews
Reviews of Nokori highlight both strengths and areas for improvement. Customers frequently praise the ambiance and drink selection, while some express mixed feelings about the food.

### Compliments and strengths
- Elegant and modern atmosphere.
- Well-curated selection of Japanese whiskeys.
- Knowledgeable staff providing excellent service.
- Unique cocktail offerings that stand out in the area.

### Contrasts and notable mentions
While many patrons enjoy the food, some reviews indicate that certain dishes could benefit from additional seasoning or refinement. The pricing of cocktails has also been noted as a point of contention, with some customers feeling that the value does not always match the cost.

### Summary evaluation
Overall, Nokori is well-regarded for its ambiance and drink offerings, making it a worthwhile destination for those seeking a sophisticated bar experience. While there are areas for improvement in the food department, the establishment's strengths in service and atmosphere make it a popular choice.

## Location & Nearby Attractions
Nokori is conveniently located at 400 W Java Dr, Sunnyvale, CA, within the Tetra Hotel. This prime location places it in the heart of Silicon Valley, surrounded by tech companies and vibrant neighborhoods. Visitors can easily explore nearby attractions, including parks, shopping centers, and cultural sites, making it an ideal stop for both locals and tourists.

## FAQs
**What type of cuisine does Nokori serve** Nokori specializes in Japanese izakaya-style dishes and offers a variety of small plates.
**Is Nokori suitable for private events** Yes, Nokori has facilities available for private events and gatherings.
**What are the parking options at Nokori** Guests can park in the hotel garage, and validation is available through the bar.

## Visit Nokori Today
Nokori invites you to experience its unique blend of Japanese whiskey and izakaya dining in a stylish setting. With a commitment to quality and community, this bar offers a welcoming atmosphere for all. Whether you're a local or just passing through, Nokori is a must-visit destination for anyone looking to enjoy exceptional drinks and a taste of Japanese culture.

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Inside the Tetra hotel, Nokori is a high end bar and restaurant. We came for drinks on a Wednesday night and there weren't that many people. There was a large group and then there weren't a few tables of smaller 2-4 people group. We didn't order food, only a side of fries so can't really comment on their food. But drinks were reasonably priced for the ambiance. The wine I had was a generous pour. Ambiance was great- is hard to find a nice place for drinks in Sunnyvale. This place is large and airy, we will definitely come back to try their food.

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Went to Nokori to check it out end of last year, was impressed, but somehow keep forgetting to post the review. It was featured on KQED local station as an elegant late night hotel bar with izakaya style bites. Nokori is an elegant modern Japanese whisky bar nested inside the modern chic Sunnyvale TETRA Hotel (a stylish boutique hotel, right next to Marriott's AC). It opens late into midnight at times. A signature drink is the Japanese whisky highball. It offers well selected whiskey, and cocktails with shoju with Japanese / Asian inspired flavors. This place has great Japanese-style impeccable attention to details: crystal clear Japanese style ice , extra sparkling fizz for the high balls. Even the non-alcoholic highball is dozed with extra sparkling fizz. We enjoyed it. This location is in the heart of Silicon Valley among Google Cloud buildings and famous tech companies. The customers range from hotel goers, tech workers, Googlers, Bay Area startup people discussing IPOs (overheard during our visit) and apparently food writers (from KQED). It way exceeds the standard of a Marriott hotel bar, and is worth a dedicated visit. Park at the parking garage opposite side of the hotel, shares the same parking structure. It offers izakaya style menu, serves small bites, tapas / dishes in the style of Japanese drinking bars. There is a limit number of intimate counter spaces at the bar, but plenty of tables further away from the bar, a spanning view of the lobby and its modern designs. There's also a glass window view of the garden pathway (the winter Christmas decoration was visible from the window was quite pretty). The bar specializes in fancy Japanese whiskeys and highball cocktails, flavored with modern craft cocktail choices and some Japanese inspired choices - shiso, cucumber. We tried Torched Hokkaido Scallops, Nokori Chicken Karaage, Chowa Highball, Far East Side, Marsuret Brut. All pretty good. The cocktails are strong. A highball cocktail is basically whisky / shoju, soda water and ice. It is notable they have a soda pump (dispenser) so the bubbles (extra fizzy) are strong (great) and the ice is crystal clear - Japanese cocktail style beautiful, clear ice, melts slowly, tastes good. KQED explains that a highball is made of Japanese whisky soda water and ice. I have noticed the soda was extra extra fizzy and indeed KQED explains that it installed special Japanese soda dispensers. Even when I didn't know, I thought the drinks were excellently fizzy - for someone who likes sparkling water and fizzy drinks, it was immediately notable! And the ice is crystal clear Japanese style cocktail ice. This highball experience is impressive. We ordered the scallops, delicious, the sauce was miso but a bit too salty. The famous chicken karaage fried chicken is golden, light, crispy, needed a bit more seasoning, but it's hard to find good chicken kaarage that's not oily these days so I can definitely see why the food writers liked it. Overall the menu is worth a try. Love the design, ambience, the modern interiors, beautiful selection of whiskeys, reminds me a lot of Tokyo. They carry a good, high end selection of Japanese whiskeys, though I don't know much about it, I can see there are various vintages present, and some of them with a good age / vintage. There are also wines available, and sparkling by the glass. The non alcoholic options are also sophisticated

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TL;DR: ambience is great, drinks were meh and pricey, service was ok, make sure you validate your parking ticket! I had a dinner appointment in Sunnyvale on a Saturday evening so I was looking around for a pre-dinner drink spot. This bar has a lot of really stellar reviews so I was excited to check it out. Originally, I was hoping to go to the AC hotel gin bar and called the hotel to check if they were open and offering validated parking, and they said yes. However, when I arrived at the bar, they told me that the bartender wasn't working that day which was really confusing because I had only called about the bar 30 mins before. Nevertheless, they kindly redirected me to Nokori and told me to try their "fantastic" high balls. I love Japanese bars. This spot touts itself as one but I'm not entirely sure that's accurate though they do have a lot of Japanese whiskies available. It's located in the lobby area of the Tetra hotel which looks very new, and has a nice vibe and ambience - basically new and fancy. We sat at the bar and ordered our drinks. I had a bit of a sticker shock when I received the menu, $18 for a high ball?! This better blow my mind. I didn't order any food but I did see some other patrons who did. The cocktails were... Fine. They didn't impress me. I got one with gin and hibiscus, the other was a yuzu whisky cocktail. They were both kind of mild in flavor, with no real punch to them. The yuzu cocktail didn't have much of a yuzu flavor, and the highball didn't come with a fancy Japanese ice cube which I saw some other patrons getting so maybe I ordered the wrong thing. I usually get two drinks at any bar I go to so I can sample the variety available but I was done after one here. I read that parking can be exorbitant so make sure you get your parking ticket validated with the bartender!

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Swanky bar with stunning cocktails. My friend and I ordered - east meets west cocktail: DIVINE, never has bourbon and honey and matcha and lemon tasted so good. Also generous size! - one of the plum based cocktails which was light and effervescent - furikake fries: yummy and a generous serving - lobster sando: so rich and tasty but you should split this as it's heavy - fried shrimp: yummy but only came with 3 pieces The drinks were incredible and I want to try more but most of the food besides the fries were not worth the price given serving size Logistics: - park in the hotel parking garage next door, but make sure to get the bar to validate your parking else it would have been $15 for 2.5 hours! - Don't confuse Nokori with the almost identical looking hotel bar next to the check in desk - walk across the breezeway to get here - indoor seating only - at least one vegetarian option available

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What a pretty place to be! I think it's still new so it feels very empty, but the food and drinks were great. They have a decent selection of Japanese whiskeys, and if you're nice, the bartender even pours a tiny bit for you to taste before you commit. I highly recommend Nikka Coffey malt. Avoid some selections like Suntory Ao - they charge an arm and a leg here for a below average whiskey. Some are more worth it than others. This is what we ordered: Scallops: 4/5. Extremely fresh and tasty. A tad too salty and sweet but it was good! Crispy shrimp: 3/5. A bit too much sweet mayonnaise and batter. Lettuce wrap: 3.5/5. Not enough tofu or lettuce to balance it out. Shishito peppers: 4/5 if you like shishito! It's in a very light tempura batter. Would have been better with something to dip it in. Cocktails were on the sweeter side but they use good ingredients.

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I never got to sample any of their cocktails but their Wagyu burger was amazing! We'd heard quite a bit about from others thru Yelp and decided to try for ourselves. If there is one food item on their menu that I would come back for regardless if I'm a guest at the Tetra or not - it would definitely be the Wagyu Burger. So good!

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Met up the a friend for a drink after work one evening. Nokori is a swanky Japanese bar apart of the Marriott Tetra hotel, but you don't have to be a guest to enjoy. You can park in the garage across from the building and the bartenders will validate your parking if you ask. Service was pretty laid back, which was nice because I was able to hold a conversation without constant interruptions. I didn't try any of the food this time but I delightfully sipped on a Yuzu highball. The flavors were nicely balanced and the artisanal ice was a nice addition. I'd consider returning to try other highballs and explore the food menu.

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My friend and I are whiskey connoisseurs. When we heard about a Japanese whiskey bar, we were naturally inclined to visit. Although we focus mostly on single malt Scotch, I have bought a few bottles of Japanese whiskies, especially Suntory Toki for making highballs. We were told that this place is usually quiet on Friday and Saturday nights because this hotel was mostly for business people (Google?) Nope, the place was almost full on a Friday night! We were lucky to have seats at the bar. The lady next to me said she read an article on SFGate that described this place. We were full from dinner so no food or munchies. We wanted to start with a clean tasting of Japanese whiskey so we got Kaiyo cask strength (53% ABV). Cask strength means no water was added to reduce the ABV percentage. The alcohol was definitely way more pronounced and I felt that it overpowered the whiskey. The flavor did remind me of Glenlivet Scotch. We then moved on to cocktails. As a home bartender, I was interested in the Asian-inspired cocktails they had. I ordered a Panda Fizz (Nikka Japanese vodka, pear, calpico, lemon, soda) but was disappointed. Vodka already didn't have much taste and the calpico (a Japanese flavored soda) dominated. I couldn't taste any peach but I did see a slice of lemon in my drink. I wouldn't order it again. My friend got the Far East Side (Nikka Japanese gin, shishito, dry vermouth, lime, mint, cucumber, soda). The gin was very faint, and the mint and cucumber were pronounced. He wasn't impressed with his drink either. Feeling disappointed, I was ready to leave, but I saw my friend's expression that he wanted... no, he NEEDED something else to redeem this experience. Always a good friend, I decided to get another drink with him. I ordered a Yuzu old fashioned. Old fashioned is my go-to drink. It's tried and true and hard to mess up. Indeed, that was my favorite drink. Perhaps I'd use a whiskey that's a bit stronger. I found yuzu marmalade on Amazon. Think I'd buy a jar from a Japanese supermarket to make my own. My friend got a Shot and a Beer. The shot was Nikka Days and the beer was a Peruvian lager called Lagarita. He quickly dumped the shot into the beer to consume it. He liked it, but felt something was missing. He asked for a lime wedge and that indeed gave it a little pop. With that extra dimension, it became a great drink. We saw this peculiar looking bottle that had a bell on it. We found out this was the bartender Sergio's favorite tequila called Clase Azul. It's a reposado tequila. It's smooth with sweet, spicy and salty notes at the same time. I'm not sure why tequila would taste salty, but this was my second reposado that had salty tastes. Given our experience in whiskies and cocktails, many of these drinks were not great. It was the company and the bartender that made the experience better. Not anxious to come back anytime soon, but perhaps I'd give this place another chance.

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I'd like to base my review on the service and the experience(snowglobes) because the food was just ok in my opinion but the hotel service was great. The fries were great, but my lobster sando and tempura shrimp tasted very plain. The hotel/restaurant staff were all very friendly though and I appreciated how they offered the free hot cocoa and smores at the fire pit area. The hot cocoa was actually very good. They added some spices or something to it. The whole experience was nice and cozy and the snow machine was a nice touch. Initially, I thought the snowglobe experience was being serviced with their other restaurant Adrestia and their food looked pretty good. We might be back to try Adrestia next time :)

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This part of the South Bay is lacking nice bars where you can chill and soak in the ambiance. Nokori fills that niche pretty well. We went a bit before closing and there were and handful or so of people there. Their Old Fashioned didn't really remind me of one too much, but I still enjoyed it. This place would be great after work or to start or end the night.

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Learn about Nokori, a top restaurant in Sunnyvale. Offering authentic cuisine, cozy ambiance & excellent service. Located at 400 W Java Dr, Sunnyvale.

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