The 30 Best Traditional japanese cuisine in London

“I’ve been to many restaurants, those which include restaurants that have multiple Michelin stars. I am super critical with reviews, but I never thought it would come to the day I would say this.. but this food “is food that brings you back home… back home to your mother”. That’s so rare in this day and age and think how much of an expert someone has to be to create that with Thai food for someone coming from Sri Lankan origin. Every ingredient is fresh, the blend of spices, the quality of meat and the food expertly made brings a dish which is truly homemade and delicious. I have never experienced anything that tastes truly homemade from a restaurant outside the home. I feel great after eating this too compared to other takeaways as it’s so natural. This is hands down the best restaurant in St Albans. Kat and her partner are such a superb couple running this restaurant, they are incredibly kind and accommodated to a special birthday request. They both came out and greeted us, which was super kind of them and proved many things but the biggest.. this is homemade food, food made from the heart. You want to try true Thai food.. don’t bother with the £800 flight, come here - to this very place a drive away in a lovely home situated in St Albans and you will experience it first hand. Well done and thank you - see you again soon.”

“One of the best sushi places in the area! For the price you pay, you get authentic, good quality sushi with a wide range of choices. I usually get it on Deliveroo and occasionally will pop in. The cafe only has two seats so it’s recommended to get takeaway. The chef there is always friendly and makes sure you are happy with your food. The sushi fish selection is varied and has things like butterfish and sea bream which aren’t so common. I’ve never had a disappointing or below standard meal from them. Always delicious and fresh! There is also a mini selection of Japanese products which is wonderful. If you are in the area, you need to come here - don’t bother with any of the other high street places. This is the place for authentic sushi.”

“Food is amazing. Service is good. Feels like a family owned business. Atmosphere is just ok, but I wouldn’t come here for a special day. The rolls were really good, and I loved the truffle beef and the black cod. We will come back to try more things from their menu.”

“The food was delicious and authentic. We chose a weekend and were lucky with a sunny day, so chose to sit outside. Considering it was a weekend, service was a bit slow, but understandable.”

“Wonderful. That probably doesn't do it justice. The location is idyllic. The house is gorgeous and the restaurant is beautifully decorated. We sat outside as it was a lovely day with a spectacular view across the valley. We went for the set menu. It's not cheap but actually it's not unreasonable for the quantity and quality of the food. A few surprises (ants - deliberately - on the sushi) which were utterly delicious. We had different choices and every one of them was fantastic. Service was brilliant - friendly and informative - and the whole experience was unrushed, relaxed and sublime. Couldn't have had a better celebration of our anniversary. I also can't reccommend it enough.”

“Very cute and underrated Japanese restaurant run by a lovely Japanese couple. They only have 8 seats which means prior booking is required. The food is freshly made by the husband as his wife takes the orders and serves. Their fish are all super fresh and tasty, you’d be able to tell the difference immediately. My favourite has got to be their double decker unagi bowl and seared salmon nigiri which is amazing. A must try if you’re in the neighbourhood!”

“such a beautiful little place — the staff are so lovely and the food is to die for!! the sushi is so fresh and delicious, the best we've had in a long time ”

“We went to Mori on a whim whilst visiting Slough on a short break. We had a long day and we wanted something close by to the travel lodge we were staying at. We picked this restaurant without looking at the reviews and honestly I can hand on heart say this has got to be the best meal we’ve ever eaten. The food quality was out of the world. It was fresh, well presented, and the flavours were to die for. We had starters, mains and a dessert and genuinely we can’t fault a single thing. The atmosphere was so calming and peaceful and the staff were so friendly and attentive. The chef preparing the food with everything in view was fantastic. We HIGHLY recommend this place and if we didn’t live so far we would be back again in a heart beat.”

“We just wanted to say a huge thank you to Vicky and Emilia for giving us the best service we could have hoped for. From the moment we arrived, they were both incredibly welcoming, friendly, and attentive, making us feel truly looked after. What impressed us most was their patience and kindness, even while managing a very busy restaurant. They never made us feel rushed, and every request was met with a smile and such professionalism. It’s rare to see such a perfect balance of efficiency and warmth, especially when the pace is so fast. They handled everything with grace and genuine care, and it made our experience so much more special. We left feeling not only satisfied with the food but also really happy thanks to the atmosphere they created. Thank you again, Vicky and Emilia – you’re a credit to the restaurant!”

“Delicious, authentic Japanese cuisine! This is a fantastic restaurant, and we highly recommend it! Every time we visit, they provide us with the highest quality food and service. Thank you for offering such amazing Japanese dishes that make us feel like we're in Japan.”

“♥ Japanese quality with fresh fish sourced from Europe and Japan. We’ve already been twice this month for the lunch omakase menu (£85), and each time has been excellent. Every piece is fresh and lightly seasoned, so you really taste the fish. I’ve been to Japan many times and tried various omakase – Cube definitely offers an authentic experience that’s comparable to what you’d get there. The restaurant is fairly quiet and the service is attentive. Highly recommend sitting at the counter for a fancy lunch or a catch-up with friends!”

“My girlfriend and I went to 'Wow Simply Japanese' tonight. It was simply incredible. Such a loverly hostess and amazing food! Honestly, the best supirse was the value for money with exceptional quality, and the range of options available was amazing! Will definitely be bringing friends and family here in future! Also, definitely get the Banana Katsu desert!!!”

“Stopped in here on a quiet Sunday night and ordered quite a few rolls and other items. The rolls were massive. One would have worked for me. The man working the front of the shop was very sweet”

“Necco was a delightful find in London. The food was authentic Japanese (as was the staff, we had a great time reminiscing about our trip to Japan with them!) The chicken teriyaki was cooked perfectly, as was th salmon teriyaki. For dessert we had the Sakura Mochi. It was a bit small, so buy one for each person. But it was delicious - make sure to eat it with the mint leaf that is wrapped around it - the contrasting flavors are something I've never tasted before. Finally, the matcha lattes were great, with a strong matcha flavor (but not overpowering). We bought quite a lot of merch (5 tshirts, a hat, and tote bag). The graphics are awesome and unique, and the staff was highly appreciative. Before we left for the evening, we asked the server if we could get a picture with her, and the whole staff got into the photo! It was one of the best experiences we had in London. Make sure to visit!!!”

“I just came in my mom for an parental outing and we decided to go here. It was so much better then I expected. Food was so good I ate it up in under five minutes. And the staff seemed very nice, queue went along fast as well. 10/10 would definitely order from here again”

“Small place so advisable to book. Outstanding food and service. Great for vegetarians. Quality and value for money was tremendous. Will definitely return.”

“Beautiful shop and wonderful exhibition of 100 traditional Japanese artisans on the lower ground floor. This is accompanied by a lovely film showing the techniques used. Exquisite atmosphere, fantastic experience. I'll definitely return.”

“OMG, Dave was truly exceptional. His performance was outstanding! I loved the food, the service, and everyone's enthusiasm. I had a wonderful evening and will definitely come back. Thank you, Dave!”

“This is a popular restaurant and usually fully booked. It was our first visit to an Izakaya and wasn't sure what to expect, the staff were accomodating and patient. We decided to get a few small plates to start and order more if needed. I'm glad that we chose that tactic as the servings are rather generous; no further plates were required. The food is delicious and well presented. I'm definitely marking another booking, soon!”

“Very good Japanese restaurant. The tuna rolls were delicious and so was the rest of the food. The place could use a bit of softer lights and music to give it a bit of atmosphere. Service was good.”

“I recommend Chirashi Don, because sometimes you want sashimi with a little rice, and for me it feels more balanced than rolls. I love the shiso leaf, it’s a traditional medicinal flavour, and I like that the ginger is yellow. Less dyes. Staff are quick and it’s a busy spot so best book your reservation!”

“Amazing gem in Forest Hill and some of best Japanese style food I’ve had in a long time. Beautiful season specials too and really wonderful desserts. Considering the quality of food I’d say this place is value for money. I look forward to more evenings here. The decor is cute. Nice for a quick meal, solo dining, a date, friendly hangout or special occasion. The waitress is very good at her job and felt really well we were not rushed, well attended to and taken care of. I saw they also do some good take away deals.”

“If sushi is your thing, this is the place! The freshness of the food is enviable. I recommend the chef's sushi plates, the boxes, everything is really of very good quality, you can't go wrong. The service of the staff is always excellent, however, I must highlight the service and recommendations of Julieta, she is wonderful and very accurate in her recommendations. A 1000% recommended place.”

“The best Japanese meal I have ever eaten! The food was absolutely delicious and so carefully prepared. The staff were so welcoming and lovely. I can’t recommend this beautiful restaurant enough! Will definitely be back :)”

“Delicious and very reasonable price, fresh sashimi, yummy bento, staff are nice. Looks like family business, support! We have been there twice for our 3 days stay in Windsor. Highly recommended!”

“[SHORT VERSION] One of the best Japanese food we’ve had in London. Prices were MORE than reasonable and the portions are big. You should eat here. [LONG VERSION] The Food: We first had the Yuzu Yellowtail Tiradito. The first mouthful me and my partner had, we looked at each other and said, this sort of flavours could be easily served in fine dining restaurants. Very complex sweet, sour, and a small beautiful hint of spiciness to it and then the yellowtail tasted so fresh. Not one bit of slimy/fishy smell or flavour to it. We then had the mixed tempura. There was no usual dipping sauce and we thought it was a bit sad, but when we had our first bite, it was so crunchy and tasty that too much sauce would ruin it. You could really taste the freshness of the prawn. My partner and I think that proper japanese chefs pay attention to detail, so we check how they prepare their food, and they delivered. The tails of the prawns were completely clean with no black marks at all and the vegetables were so fresh too. We also had the pork katsu curry, which had the entire bowl covered with the pork cutlet and a really powerful japanese curry sauce(very flavourful)[no photo as someone took a better one that does justice to it]. The Chef and the Place: To be honest, I found out about this restaurant passing by it early morning(it was closed) on our to the bus stop, and I checked the reviews(high). I thought we would drop by later that night. They said that they don’t do reservations as it is really a small place(mainly takeaways), with bar like setting(stools lined up along the window and along where the chef prepares sushi) and 1 small table on the side. We went in later for dinner and were surprised that there wasn’t a single Japanese staff in the place, I even looked outside to check if we were in the right place. So we’re like, ok let’s just order, we’re here already and as soon as we tasted the food, we loved it. We talked to this Sri Lankan chef and asked how the hell his food tasted this good and we all had a good laugh. He’s been in the Japanese Fine dining field for 25 years and he wanted to start his own little restaurant serving cheap but high quality food. We spent 2 hours talking about Japanese food, and how they store, prepare, and present their food. They even showed us that they use only the highest quality ingredients all the way down to the salt they use for the sushi. These guys are lovely human beings and they are also highly skilled in what they do and they need the recognition. Thank you for the lovely meal. It was a pleasure meeting you guys. P.S. Thanks for the special off-menu aburi salmon!”

“Amazing Japanese spot! The claypot rice dishes were absolutely delicious — the grilled eel was tender with a perfect glaze, and the beef pot with soft egg and veggies was super flavorful. The presentation was beautiful and the open kitchen added a nice touch. Cozy atmosphere, attentive staff. Highly recommend — definitely coming back!”

“Really good food, we loved everything we tried. Sushi was amazing, quite different from other places as well (salmon dragon roll was so good). Great quality. Staff were super helpful and nice as well, which made the dinner all the better. Totally recommend to check this place if you have not already!”

“Yet to eat in but have had their takeaway a number of times. They have a really good menu, portion size is spot and a great GF menu too. Gluten Free and safe for coeliacs, staff are lovely too. Will update when we get to eait in!”

“Portion sizes were massive so I recommend ordering one dish first and more later if you’re not full. Price point was very decent for the amount of food that you are getting. The staff was also very friendly and refills your tea for you once you finish your cup or for a top up. They also give complementary miso soup with some of the dishes.”