Cozy dining in Watford

“Hanako Brings Japan to Watford When I was looking for authentic Japanese food nearby, a few restaurants came up. But Hanako immediately caught my attention. Just from the Google review photos of their sushi and sashimi, I could see the craftsmanship. The presentation looked simple and neat, not overly decorated, but refined in a way that reminded me of true Japanese style. My Japanese friend and I were so excited that we arrived before the restaurant opened. The owner kindly let us in early, which was already such a warm welcome. Inside, the atmosphere was cozy and felt just like a small restaurant in Japan. The menu was easy to understand with clear English, and allergy information was clearly shown. On top of that, the owner kindly explained some of the dishes to us as well. I ordered the nabe udon and a sashimi sushi set. My friend had the shoyu ramen. The portion sizes were quite big for us, but because everything tasted so good, we finished it all. The flavors were very authentic but also easy to enjoy for people who may not be familiar with Japanese food. If I had to describe it in Japanese, I would say it has a 優しい味, meaning a gentle and comforting taste. We had a lovely chat with the owner. She told us that the tuna sashimi is 本マグロ, which is bluefin tuna imported from Japan. That truly impressed us, and you could taste the quality. Everything felt so fresh and nourishing. What surprised me even more is that Hanako has been open for 23 years. That’s nearly the same age as me. It made me think about how Japanese food wasn’t very common in the UK back then. I can only imagine how much this restaurant has gone through over the years to continue sharing this kind of food with the community. I wrote this review to share my appreciation for the food and people at Hanako. If you’re reading the menu outside and not sure whether to go in, I really recommend you try it. This place is a hidden gem.”

“No fuss, quick and fantastic! Not oily or greasy, fresh and no fuss! Even the avocado was a good portion. Mushrooms not greasy. Good choice of vegetarian items too.”

“grabbed a coffee here this morning, the best coffee I have had in a long time and I could not believe how cheap it was. £0.90p for a fresh flat white.”

“Chilled out family restaurant serving fresh tasty food. The service is excellent too. They also have a nice selection of desserts.”

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We had an amazing dining experience at this Thai restaurant! The Prawn Tom Yum Soup was bursting with flavors—spicy, tangy, and absolutely delicious. The Prawn Tempura was perfectly crispy and light, making it a delightful appetizer. For the main course, we enjoyed the Chicken Garlic and Peppers with Rice, which was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of garlic and spice. Overall, every dish was delicious, and we will definitely be coming back. Highly recommend this place to anyone looking for authentic and tasty Thai cuisine!”

“Great cafe, great atmosphere, great food and the service is brilliant, I think her name was Julia who served me and woow she should be the owner or at least manager,she was so amazing and professional I can't thank her enough for a beautiful service, definitely coming back,thank you. #flipper”

“This is for Nandos at the mall in WATFORD junction. The employees are very alert and welcoming as soon as you open the door. They are very organized and you can order your food by scanning a bar code or you can still do it the old way by going to the till. The fries are second to none. I enjoyed my food and I was full. I have been to this restaurant each time I am in the UK. Check it out”

“Pizzas and kebabs are delicious, this is now my go to place. The owners are lovely. Recently ordered some pizzas for my son’s birthday party over in Croxley and they delivered on time and they were still lovely and hot. Everyone enjoyed. I’m so glad this my local. Thank you ☺️”

“Always top quality fish and chips. Generous portions and fresh products. Reasonably priced. The staff are super friendly and welcoming. Can’t recommend enough. The best chippy around”

“During our trip to Watford to visit the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio, we discovered this restaurant completely by chance. For our arrival lunch, the four of us had an absolutely delightful meal. Both the children and the adults loved every dish. The food was exquisite, and we received a very warm welcome. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to return for dinner the following evening before the end of our stay, and we were just as impressed with the other dishes we tried. The quality of the food is superb, and the service is excellent. We highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting the area! Christine , Nathalie & kids”

“great deal for lunch 2 courses just for £13 ordered fries halloumi and beef Lasagne both of them taste very good can ask to take away if you can't finish them The service is excellent, definitely worth it to try”

“Visited today for my mums birthday - we booked last minute after a change of plans. We had 3 courses and every single one was delicious. Highly recommend the Sunday roast and the sticky toffee! The service was great - special thanks to the two young guys (I didn’t catch their names but a really young lad and the barman with plaits) for looking after us. We will be back!”

“Fantastic establishment. Truly unique cafe experience.”

“Dropped by on a Friday evening and enjoyed an excellent meal, served promptly by friendly staff. Our dog was welcomed, toilet facilities were clean and well maintained and there was plenty of space to find a quiet corner. Only drawback is the limited parking locally.”

“Excellent Italian Restaurant in Watford! This is a fantastic Italian restaurant with delicious food, generous portions, and great value. The flavors are authentic, and every dish is well-prepared. Service is very efficient, even during busy lunchtime hours. The fact that it’s always packed shows how popular it is with locals—I believe it’s a well-renowned spot in the area. Located in a very convenient spot in Watford, it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for quality Italian cuisine. Highly recommended!”

“We were 4 people and each had different meals, and we all agreed that the food was excellent, with a large menu. The portions were large, very tasty, and very good value for money. The food was all freshly made. The music was pleasant Indian music, at a reasonable volume. If you want a vegetarian/vegan restaurant, I highly recommend.”

“I really enjoyed everything about this place. They have different style rooms depending on where you prefer to eat. I ordered the goats cheese and beetroot as the starter which was fantastic. I got the side of the tomato beef ragu pasta which was amazing but exactly the right size for my small appetite that day - they also brought a whole bowl of Parmesan for me to help myself. For dessert I ordered the brownie and doughballs with Nutella which came with icecream. I personally was not a fan of the brownie or the ice cream I wish there had been the option to just have a bowl of the doughballs as I had seen in other reviews as these were amazing. The tables were quite close together and it was really quite loud. I hope they invest in some sound absorbing panels. I would recommend and will be coming back. I have been again since and the pasta was still fantastic. We also ordered the mushroom risotto however this was lacking a bit of flavour, the walnuts were a nice touch. I do have to say the staff are fantastic about making adaptions to meals to intolerances.”

“Superb across the board. Staff, food, atmosphere, can’t fault them. Always our go to place for a refreshing menu.”

“Lovely little cafe. Lovely staff, good food, good portions and reasonably priced. There is plenty to choose from.”

“We had breakfast here before visiting Harry Potter Studios and had a friendly welcome, great value good food and the best coffee I have had in a cafe ever. Honestly, I wish I didn't live 100miles away!”

“Amazing little breakfast place lovely customer service and amazing fresh food would highly recommend if your in the area Would definitely be visiting here again”

“First time visiting. Recommend by my sister as I have a dog. We were made so welcome, given a blanket and very clean bowl of water. A good atmosphere and service was quick and super friendly. Food was fresh and well coooked.”

“Lovely atmosphere, very coming place to go to, so chilled and everyone is so easy to talk to”

“Make sure you visit when in Watford! Fantastic food. Meat wonderfully seasoned. Lovely atmosphere with great music. Fantastic hosts! We will return and recommend ”

“First time in this restaurant Sunday 2nd February. The food is excellent with good portions and a delicious taste. The place is clean and the prices are reasonable. I’ll be back soon.”

“Went here on a recomandation of our AirBnB Host. This was Perfect. Little Café with an Perfect amount of decesions on what to eat. Price is absolut fair and in combination of quality and Service, you won‘t be dissapointed. You can pay by card with a min of 5£ Order. Nice People here. Seems like a local Spot. No Tourist. The Ambient is Perfect for the Size. Absolut Go to ! Thank You”

“Always a warm welcome and briliantl food. Tuesday night for the deal (Starter, main, veg, rice or nan) is great value”

“I ordered a pepperoni pizza and another margarita pizza the food was fresh and it was extremely tasty the man that was working there was very polite and kind I was £1.50 short and he said it ok i would definitely recommend this coffee shop to other people.”

“I always come and eat here every weekend , the staff are really friendly and their food is really great and really good portions , and when I was about to write this review I saw a review a “customer”saying they have 3/5 food rating which I didn’t believe because the store looks really clean and tidy even on a weekend after I saw their 5 star sticker so don’t believe the lies guys”

“We were recommended to them by friends. Really pleasantly surprised. Friendly lady took our order and it was correct. Food was still hot when got it home twenty mins later. We will probably get delivery next time. The food was delicious and this is why...in our opinion...it was not sitting in lots of sauces (each dish) it was not soggy. It was not full of monosodium glutamate. So, food tasted good and we were thirsty all night! Noodles, beansprouts and meat was crispier and not covered in sauces. Food was good portion sizes and under £20 for four dishes. Finally, premises looked clean and they are rated well for cleanliness.”