Watford, Japanese Restaurant Guide

This “consistently good local Japanese” near Golders Green station is nowadays owned by Japanese fish and seafood wholesaler T&S Enterprises (who run the Atariya brand), and serves “fantastic food at very reasonable prices”. It remains a pretty functional little space which has “maintained high standards” for sushi and sashimi over more than two decades.

“A wide range of typical Japanese dishes that have not been anglicised, including sushi that’s always fresh and well-prepared (with true tastes, unlike at the ubiquitous chains)”, helps inspire a big fan club for this “homely” chain. They are “not the grandest of places” – with service that’s “quick and efficient” rather than particularly charming – but it “always feels like you are eating in Japan” here; and “they get the job done with decent value for money”. They must be doing something right as they are “always packed” and there are “often queues out the door”. Top Tip – “the bento boxes are particularly good and with generous portions”.

“A wide range of typical Japanese dishes that have not been anglicised, including sushi that’s always fresh and well-prepared (with true tastes, unlike at the ubiquitous chains)”, helps inspire a big fan club for this “homely” chain. They are “not the grandest of places” – with service that’s “quick and efficient” rather than particularly charming – but it “always feels like you are eating in Japan” here; and “they get the job done with decent value for money”. They must be doing something right as they are “always packed” and there are “often queues out the door”. Top Tip – “the bento boxes are particularly good and with generous portions”.

This 15-strong London noodle chain (now with branches in Brighton, Birmingham and Bristol) is “a good stand-by” – perhaps it’s “not as good as some of its competitors”, but it is widely seen as “good value”: in particular “the lunch-time meal deal” is a winner.

“Proper Kyushu-style ramen with a thick, silky broth” is the secret behind this small London noodle chain from former pro cyclist Kazuhiro Kanada. “Especially great on a typical cold, rainy London day”, it’s “a go-to for a quick, cheap and (relatively) healthy supper in town” (“I’ve stopped for ramen at all the main chains and a few indies, and for my money this is the very best bowl at a great price”). The sixth branch opened in summer 2024 at Westfield Shepherd’s Bush.

2022 Review: “The food is very good” at this “typically impersonal” – but actually, by the standards of the genre, pretty “convivial” – Japanese joint near Ealing Common tube, which serves a variety of set meals at lunchtime and izakaya-style dining in the evening.

This “top-value Japanese for its quality, now happily doubled in size”, has drawn aficionados from across London to its Hampstead premises for decades, to sample sushi, yakitori and other delicacies. Guests can perch at sushi or grill bars where “you can watch the genuine article being prepared under your nose” – or sit at tables where “we were allowed to drink tea all afternoon when lunch just wasn’t long enough”.

2022 Review: “A sushi bar in a shop” may not sound appealing, but these cafés operated by a Japanese food importer – in Ealing, Swiss Cottage, Golders Green and Marylebone – provide fresh, “clean-tasting” sushi, and they’re “good-value”.

“Wow! – How to describe the extraordinary gastronomic experience created by master sushi chef, Endo, and borne from his obsession with quality and refusal to compromise on even the tiniest detail?” Diners are blown away by Endo Kazutoshi’s 16-seater on the eighth floor of the old BBC TV Centre in White City, where he presents over 20 courses at the cost of £250 per person. “Every dish is an experience and the theatre of chef Endo’s entertaining presentation and explanations is a delight. It may seem like no bargain, especially if you take the (recommended) sake pairings, but it is nevertheless excellent value”. It closed for a five-month refurb over summer 2024 – “Good luck getting in here after the reopening!” Since 2020 it has been recognised by Michelin, but “we have no clue as to how this has just a single star, while Alain Ducasse for example has three!”

This 15-strong London noodle chain (now with branches in Brighton, Birmingham and Bristol) is “a good stand-by” – perhaps it’s “not as good as some of its competitors”, but it is widely seen as “good value”: in particular “the lunch-time meal deal” is a winner.

This “excellent small sushi bar with no frills” near Turnham Green tube may look unprepossessing, but is above par for a local Japanese café.

2023 Review: This tiny Japanese near Little Venice is “well worth seeking out”. “The food is served in a friendly manner and the sushi and sashimi is always very fresh”.

“Lovely Japanese dishes in a charming minimalist room” win ongoing acclaim for Endo Kazutoshi’s Notting Hill venue (named for his Mum!), which is much more laid-back than his famous Endo at the Rotunda. Sushi is the mainstay of the menu produced by chef Christian Onia, but there are also a smattering of robata and gohan (rice) options. It has a mutedly stylish, café-like interior and an outside sunny-days terrace.

This “great little yakitori restaurant” near Stamford Brook station specialises in grilled Japanese skewers “cooked to order” as you watch, ideally from a perch at the counter. It’s a “simple local” spot, scoring well for authenticity.

2021 Review: “The best kimchi in London” – apparently “voted by the South Korean Embassy!” – is found at this drab-looking stalwart, near Ravenscourt Park tube. Despite the name, the place is Korean-owned and run – and it’s the “fantastic Korean dishes” that garner the plaudits this year: “sweet, savoury, spicy and with generous portions”. But the Japanese dishes are also excellent and “service is always personal”.

2022 Review: Hidden beneath Smith’s Bar & Grill in the Paddington Basin development – a spring 2020 Peruvian newcomer named for the Ayllu community of the Inca Empire, and serving Peruvian-Japanese fusion dishes and cocktails.

“A wide range of typical Japanese dishes that have not been anglicised, including sushi that’s always fresh and well-prepared (with true tastes, unlike at the ubiquitous chains)”, helps inspire a big fan club for this “homely” chain. They are “not the grandest of places” – with service that’s “quick and efficient” rather than particularly charming – but it “always feels like you are eating in Japan” here; and “they get the job done with decent value for money”. They must be doing something right as they are “always packed” and there are “often queues out the door”. Top Tip – “the bento boxes are particularly good and with generous portions”.