Tokyo Diner

I love this place, or should i say we. every time me and my girlfriend find ourselves up west end and hungry, its all way a nice spot to go and have a lovely meal.

the only down side to Tokyo Diner is that they have so many lovely side dish's that we end up buying pretty much all of them, and spending to much money.

but it quite cheap "Thank God" and we leave feeling very stuffed and happy but a bit greedy and a lot fatter.
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Morgan Woolf
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Interesting reviews clearly people have had some very mixed experiences. I found staff very friendly without being intrusive and they quickly ushered me to a table for one person at 22.30 on a weekday night 2 days before Christmas. I'm vegetarian and went in here after finding the place I usually go was closed. So I m looking for value for money rice and tofu in surroundings which are amenable to a vegetarian ie the meat and fish for other diners is discreet. BTW I'm not anti fish / meat just dont wanna eat it.

The food was nothing special but perfectly satisfactory portion of tofu fried with breadcrumbs on a bed of rice. There was a thick sauce with it also. I asked for a larger protion and this was sufficient. With a can of beer the bill was under ten pounds. The drinks arrived moments after the food.

This was an interesting style of food different to what I've experienced at wagamama's or Mount Fuji's in Birminghams Bullring. I'll be honest and say there are other styles of cooking tofu which are more to my taste. That's not a criticism on the quality of the cooking. Go and judge for yourself!

This place seems authentically Japanese, judging by the several Japanese who were present and a nice touch was one of the English staff was practising Japanese with his colleagues.

If you re looking for no frills authentic Japanese cooking and reasonable value for money for central London then on the basis of my experience I can recommend this place. But don t go somewhere and disrespect the food when in actual fact it isn't the food which is the issue so much as that style or nationality of cuisine is not to your taste.
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Tim Renton
6 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Monday, December 26, 2011

Disagree with the reviewers below.

"It was around 9 o'clock and there was not many customer to be honest, but the staff just shove in the bill on our table after we finished, as if she wants us to go immediately, and it did not feel nice" < It is Japanese style!!!!

I went to Tokyo diner yesterday with my girlfriend, one of the most enjoyable meals I've had - good food, good service.

Just one small disappointment, they didn't take tip even though I really wanted to leave...
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Paul
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Been there three times in total, and it got worse every time I went.

First time was fine, nothing much going on. The food was OK, but not too terrible. Definitely too small for such a price.

Second time was fine at the beginning, I asked for the free bigger portion and it was slightly bigger, but still not worth the price that they are charging. It was around 9 o'clock and there was not many customer to be honest, but the staff just shove in the bill on our table after we finished, as if she wants us to go immediately, and it did not feel nice.

Third time was the horrible dining experience I ever had in my whole life, and that causes me never visiting that place ever again! We were asked to sit at a joint table, but we saw there was another empty table at the corner and asked if we could sit there. A male staff said NO strictly. We were stun and was like OK and just sat down. later when we ordered, my friend asked if it was OK to not put onion and peppers in, the male staff again said NO strictly again, and did not even ask if we wanted any drinks. And when the food finally came, that male staff stared at us as if he had put something in the food and laughed when we ate it. He also did not say thank you when we paid.

So unless you want to be mistreated and charged for expensive food that only tastes OK (assuming nothing 'extra' would be put in), I would suggest to avoid this place. I have been to so many japanese restaurant, and this is by far the worst one.
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0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, October 10, 2011

I visited for the first time during a Saturday at around lunchtime. I've heard mixed reviews but decided to give it a go anyway!

We were seated on the main floor, it was small but not cramped, although chairs were a bit small for my tall friend!

I ordered the 'Salmon Don' and my friend had a chicken udon bowl... both were served quickly, no small talk made by the staff, but not really a problem due to our exhaustion and hunger!

However the portions were really small for us. I would definately ask for the free 'bigger portion' of rice if I were to visit again.

That said, the rice wasn't particularly nice, it seemed undercooked and like it had been sat around for a while (raw fish tastes better with seasoned sushi rice, I think, but that might not've been the point of this dish). I wasn't offered any soy sauce or wasabi which was a shame because the fish was tasteless and didn't have a particularly smooth texture. I could have asked for some but I was exhausted and very hungry so it wasn't a big enough problem at the time!

The prices were definately over the odds for what I could pay outside of London, but you have to take the location into account. Still, I would probably rather spend the same amount of money on cheaper, tastier (if less healthy), bigger portions of food from elsewhere than return here. Although I would return if I was in a group of if someone else wanted to visit with me!
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Laura
4 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Sunday, September 04, 2011

i have been to this place today after i have been passing by so many times..so this time i decided to give it a shot.

I got a nice table on the ground floor, i have not been downstairs, and i have not seen downstairs. they bring you tea and crackers when you are seated.

It took me some time to order.. but i went finally for the bento box.. ton katchu bento box, ton meaning pork. and also i order some chicken kara age . that came with a lovely sauce that you have to pour on.

The food was quite good but not amazing. The bento box had some stuff i did not know what it was and never had before. overall was good. Price wise i think is a bit steep but then again is in the middle of chinatown. I had tea for free, very nice tea by the way.

i did not need to have so much tea, and only asked once. since they did refill it about three times...... all the food was rather good as i said and the portions are huge. rather big.

i certainly will go back to this place and try something different rather than the bento box.. It was rather quiet when i ate today but there was no music at all. I really love the deco of the place and the fact the waitresses are around so they can be call if needed without being intrusive.
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the golden palate - View all reviews by this user
6 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, August 23, 2011

This is a delightful and unpretentious restaurant that "does what is says on the tin" - simple, well cooked and delicious home made food, unfussy, simple and polite service - a winning combination that probably explains its longevity. Long may it continue - I had a reassuringly good and reasonably priced lunch and look forward to my next visit
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Smiler
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Thursday, May 19, 2011

If you want the waiting staff to scream at you just for asking for a cup of tea after waiting 30 minutes to be served, then this is the place for you!

My experience of Tokyo Diner was terrible. On arrival we were ushered downstairs. The waitress very promptly gave us our menus, even though we were the only people in the downstairs seating area, she took a long time coming to take our orders.

The food arrived promptly, with quite large portions. The food was nice but wasn't really anything special. As the waitress brought our food I asked if I could have another cup of tea. She didn't stop but shouted 'Yes!' at me from over her shoulder.

We waited for 15 minutes, and we assumed she had forgotten. We've all worked in restaurants or takeaways and know that this can sometimes happen so when she passed our table I asked her politely again for some tea. She waved her hand and dismissed me, saying that the tea would come when it was ready. I felt that she was being rude, but we waited another 10 minutes for the tea.

At which point I got up and went to her and asked her for some tea. She pushed me to get past, so I raised my eyebrows at her. She looked back at me and snapped at me that it was coming (she repeated this several times very heatedly). She then walked several meters into the stairwell,and then she proceeded to scream at me as she was "only one person!" and "what was she supposed to do!?" She was the only waitress for the dwnstairs she shouted at me, but there are only 7 or 8 tables on the bottom floor so it wasn't like she was pushed.

This upset me and my party, we have never been shouted at by anyone in public. And when she arrived back downstairs she went into the back and she started smashing pots and pans very loudly. People on the bottom floor became very uneasy and awkward. My boyfriend then went into the back to ask for some tea and an apology where she began to scream at him. She said she does not respect her customers and that it was our fault, we'd pushed her to this. We promptly left and when I asked who her manager was she said there was no one I could talk to, so when I asked who was in charge she just told me, "Oh, someone upstairs."

Tokyo Diner is the worst place I have ever eaten at and I hope you don't make the same mistake.
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2 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Thursday, February 17, 2011

Terrible and disappointing service.

We were faced with a waitress who wasn't very attentive and quite rude in fact. First she didn't write down the chicken kara-age that we asked for so by the time the food arrived, one of us had to wait another 20 mins for their dish.

Secondly, I asked for a spoon to feed our three year old boy on four occasions which she said OK to but we were ignored and she never came round to give us one. We were sitting on the basement level and there were only five tables with people at so it wasn't like it was especially busy either. I don't know if it's because they don't accept tips so there's less incentive to be nice to their customers but I definitely wouldn't go back there again.

The food itself wasn't great either.
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McC
2 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Sunday, February 06, 2011

My husband and I had heard about the Tokyo Diner and were determined to find it when we came to Leicester Square. We were not disappointed. It is nothing like Yo Sushi and Wagamama, its better. It reminded us both of our time in Japan and its more traditional feel. Service was good, smiles on every face. Food not mind blowing. Reminded me of my Mum's cooking. Brought back lots of good memories. You have to try it.
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June Davies
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 10
Saturday, January 22, 2011