Cozy fantasy. Great for food fanatics but no real plot. The first volume is more a series of vignettes that all take place inside Nobu pub. I personally am not a huge fan of watching people eat, so while the drawings of the food are interesting, I quickly found myself frustrated by how much time was spent on people's reaction to food instead of anything plot-wise happening.

The author clearly hinted in the shop's ability to cross between worlds and I can only hope that later volumes include much more about that. Otherwise I cannot survive another volume without being bored.

-- 4/5 Stars -- ★★★★☆

Trigger Warnings for Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu 1: implied wealth gap, implied war/military

Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu 1 by Natsuya Semikawa, Virginia Nitouhei, and Kururi is the first volume in the Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu series. In this volume we see many patrons discovering Nobu and it's unique access to a range of foods. Throughout we get beautiful descriptions of Chief and Shinobu's food through the eyes of Hans, Nikolaus, Hildegarde, Johann Gustav, and more.

This manga was cute and gave wafts of the manga and anime series Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma. So much of the food looked delectable, even in black-and-white. All of this being said, I really wanted to know more about the characters. We saw glimmers of each of them, but I would have sooner had an entire volume dedicated to each person or family's stories and then have then meet together in a later volume

​Overall, Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu 1 was fun and easy. I look forward to the current and future iterations of this series. ​Special thanks to NetGalley, Natsuya Semikawa, Virginia Nitouhei, Kururi, and Udon Entertainment for access to a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

I like the premise of this book, it serves to educate on what Japanese fare is present in the form of an Izakaya. It's set in a german fantasy town, where two characters after receiving payment test out Izakaya Nobu. And it develops onto characters bringing more of their companions to appreciate the food

I'm suprised that for a food-based manga, there are few panels dedicated to seeing the food, and some of the character angles feel awkward. The digital file quality received is pixelated, the line is not crisp, and for a few pages the shading causes the pages to strain my eyes.

Besides that, as a light novel, this is quite enjoyable.

This manga was very cozy. It is a slice-of-life manga revolving around a restaurant and its patrons. I thought the dialogue was very funny at times, and the art looked amazing! While reading, I had to grab a snack because it made me hungry. There didn't seem to be much of a story, but I still loved it nonetheless. I will definitely be reading Volume 2!

**Thank you for the ARC!! All opinions are completely my own.** 4 stars. Heartwarming and delicious!

A nice comfort food slice of life manga. I would compare it to Laidback Camp for the way it features and explores foods in a tantalizing way.
It includes vignettes of characters giving their “challenges” to the chef/chief and the mysteriously gifted serving girl. Each chapter highlights a dish, pictured at the beginning.
Everything looks and is described deliciously. It made me hungry just reading it.
The art style is cute and well done. Very detailed.

I prefer this to Food Wars because the euphoria the food brings isn’t sexualized. Just not my cup of tea with it being an orgasmic experience. This was much more wholesome.

I found this manga to be heartwarming and adorable. I fully understand how the power of a good meal can take all your worries and frustrations and melt them away. Can't wait to read volume 2!

Thank you for the ARC.

First of all this is a very cute manga and I really enjoyed it! The artstyle is perfect, and it is really good to read a different manga without blood and such.

Unfortunately I don't think there is a story here. There are only stories of people who likes this pubs food and services. I wish there were more to it than just this.

I will still recommend it to people who like manga and graphic novels, but I'm not sure if I'm going for book 2 straight away.

A great slice-of-life, laid-back food manga! There's not a ton of metaphorical meat, in terms of plot, but it's great for anyone who likes quieter manga centered on the joys of food. Reads very similarly to I Am A Cat Barista, with a different sort of fantasy spin.

“Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu” is a manga which unfortunately didn't make me crazy.

The story is very imaginative: it's about a time-traveling pub that everyone falls in love with thanks to the delicious food, forgetting all their worries.

Unfortunately I didn't like it because absolutely nothing happens.
Not a hint to the fact that the customers might realize they are in a magical place, nor to what the pub is, where it comes from and whether those who work there realize they are traveling through time.

I don't think I will continue reading the saga.

Thank you Netgalley and Udon Entertainment for a digital copy of the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love the focus on foods and drinks in manga as well as how much impact they can have on the characters eating it. With this story, it featured various customers that enter their restaurant and amazed by the deliciousness of the dishes they try.

It made me curious to try those dishes in real life too. It's completely understandable that they would be impressed since they do look really good.

This is a super cute fantasy isekai that I'd recommend to those who enjoy Dungeon Meshi. The artwork is lovely and I just found it really wholesome.

A cozy little food based manga showcasing the magic of good food and drink. I can see some fantasy elements setting up to trickle into the subsequent volumes. This was a nice introduction to the world and characters. Not enough actual story happening though- perhaps in volume 2?

Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu is a cozy fantasy manga set in medieval European town that has a seemingly modern-day Japanese restaurant. I would love for the next volumes to go into how this restaurant came to exist in the town. The premise is very interesting and I am looking forward to seeing it fleshed out.

The art and descriptions of the food are very tempting and led to me wanting to try multiple dishes featured.

Overall this is a very lighthearted, informative manga and I will keep reading the next volumes.

This was a cozy laid back manga about an izakaya serving up delicious seasonal food to it's customers that keeps bringing them back for more.

This was interesting, though I think my copy was missing some of the recipes/images at the end of the chapters. I will read the next book however, as it certainly makes me hungry. 3/5

Basic premise is that a modern Japanese pub opens in a german-inspired fantasy town. It's a quick read, maybe best read right before dinner given the food descriptions. It's a low stake cozy premise, only thing I wish happened was they had given a German dish some attention, for some cultural back-and-forth.

This is my first time reading a manga and although I like the story, I realized that I love hearing and watching the special effects of the movie or tv version. Thank you NetGallery for providing this copy.

I LOVE I LOVE I LOVE I LOVED IT. I don’t think I can say it enough how much I enjoy it! Can’t wait to see where it goes

Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu is a super cute slice of life isekai manga that is a pure delight to read! The short chapters all focusing on a different townsperson visiting Izakaya Nobu and getting to know the wonderful staff who run the establishment is such a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. I am very excited to keep reading this series!