Yumi

Time stood still - decor (80s) and basement dining is mildly dingy. The food was a tad above average and hugely expensive; oh tiny, tiny portions. The Black Cod was bland and the Sukiyaki beef was overly sweet. The saving grace were the noodles, which were at least were pretty authentic; but then again ought to be at £12.00 a serving. Service was like all Japanese joints disciplined beyond belief but very little English spoken. £40 a head with no booze. This is the type of restaurant whereby you'll go back home thereafter to binge on crisps and cornflakes. Sad.
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Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, April 30, 2008

This place is a bit frayed around the edges. Downstairs in the main restaurant its quasi private cubicle in the style so loved by the Japanese. If you want atmosphere and theatre this is not the place to come so the sushi counter on the first floor might be more fun. The food was adequate but not memorable and thats from someone who has eaten at hundreds of Tokyo restaurants and considers Japanese food (in Japan) the best and most diverse in the world. This average restaurant it will cost you more than one of the high fashion London restaurants. If its value for money you are after then this is not the place for you. Overall a disappointment and merits no more than seven out of ten for quality and less for value.
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Mike N
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 4
Thursday, June 21, 2007

I came here with 2 friends for dinner last week. Having read the reviews below, I had a high expectation for Yumi, but was somewhat disappointed by the food ultimately. Let's start with the positives. The atmosphere here was great and lively (upstairs at least). For those of you who like a genuine traditional japanese restaurant setting, this is the place. The staff was attentive and extremely friendly. Now the negatives. While the food--sashimi, udon, hot dishes etc.--was above average, it did not remotely wow me. Nor did its quality warrant the price tag. The dinner came to about 50 pounds per head (we didn't order any alcohol), and I simply think there are better alternatives at this price range.
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Sam
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 6
Saturday, June 09, 2007

For a long time I always believed that Yumi serves the best sushi in London (til I discovered Ikeda) - the maguro, hotate, unagi, akagai, otoro are definitely amongst the best I've had. Recently the restaurant has adpoted monthly specials, and from this I have sampled excellent grilled iberico pork, okonomiyaki, sukiyaki udon, etc. Possibly the best dish in any restaurant under £10 can be found here - the cold inaniwa udon served with a shitake mushroom. Sounds simple but the texture of the noodles is simply perfect. I have had a variety of cold noodles dishes here and it has never failed to please. However I would say that this is hardly a place for a romantic meal. The ambience is very average (except for seating at the sushi bar on the ground floor perhaps), and as the main seating area of the restaurant is in the basement, it can be somewhat depressing. The decor could honestly do with some upgrading too - I believe it has been some 20 years since it's opened in London. Nonetheless this is still an excellent restaurant for truly authentic Japanese food in London. We struggle to leave with a bill of less than £90 for two on each visit (not including sake, wine, etc.) but have kept going back over the last few years...
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CPT
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Friday, March 16, 2007

I speak marginal Japanese, and while on holiday in London from Los Angeles, wanted to eat at a place that would make a Japanophile like myself feel welcomed and at ease.

Yumi did exactly this and more! Walking down into the dining area felt like entering a small dining room in downtown Tokyo. It's no wonder there were several groups of Japanese salarymen meeting there, and the service was near-instantaneous at every moment. The starting servings of tea were very potent, the sake was smooth and relaxing, the food was the best I've had outside of the Land of the Rising Sun itself, and the staff was very attentive (of course, being the male patron of the group, I was also quite pleased with how pretty and beautiful many of the female servers were).

The price was somewhat upsetting, but it was a large meal, and for the atmosphere, service and quality of the food, I imagine that it was worth the weight in pounds as it was. I would certainly recommend this place for anyone who has the money and is open to new experiences. The important thing is to keep an open mind and make an effort to enjoy it. When the staff sees this they will definitely reciprocate this.
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An American Wolf, where? In London
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, January 10, 2007

this restaurant is a consistent winner - reading the last review pushed me to pen a response as i have never been disappointed with the food nor service. sure u dont get the 90 pound waifs in dark glasses ala nobu - but if you are looking for a test of true japanese cuisine - ask any of the 25 salary men a night sitting at the sushi bar.
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big tom
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, March 01, 2006

What a disappointment. The restaurant itself needs a makeover and a non-smoking section would be nice. It took 20 minutes for the menus to arrive and over an hour for the food to arrive. When questioned, the waitresses just said sorry. When the food arrived it was nice but not special and for their prices I expected special. At over £220 for 3 I was horrified when the bill came. Not only was 12.5% service added but a cover charge for each person was also added. To top the evening off they lost my card in the kitchen and that took another 20 minutes..... Will never go back and will never reccomend it. Such a shame. Please ignore the first review giving it a glowing reference.
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Neil Miller
Monday, June 13, 2005