Cafe Japan

Cafe Japan transformed my eating habits and tastes.

I used to be reluctant to eat sushi, but one trip and a couple of bites has made me crave more, more and more!

Firstly, the food is excellent, easily one of the best Japanese gems in London. A highlight would definitely be the bento boxes. Recently (last 3 months or so), they've come down in price and have a whole load more - the pictures are a little deceptive actually, from what I've noticed you end up with more than what's shown in the menu!

For example there's a delicious Teriyaki Chicken option I go for quite often, and it shows a lovely portion of chicken, rice and some salad. Yet what you end up with is chicken, rice, sushi rolls, salad, miso soup and to top it off, some tofu squares! It's brill, and the price isn't too extoritionate either - a regular meal, with some sushi on the side sets me back around £10 with a small cup of Japanese green tea.

The food is the most important thing, so you'd expect a few corners cut in other areas. But no - the service and atmosphere is still top notch! Friendly staff (though do take a bit of time when sorting out the bill oddly enough), fresh and quick cooking time and well thought out seating and style. Consistent furniture, sleek, black and sophisticated!

It's hard to sum it up really. Just go! Plently of options to cater for all, one trip and it's made me crave sushi and Japanese food a lot more than I used to!
Comment on this reader review

Jorge B.
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Thursday, October 08, 2009

We agree totally with the last review. This place is an absolute gem. It's our favourite restaurant. Affordable, unfussy and a great place to try and eat your way through an extensive and varied menu of sushi. Four thumbs up.
Comment on this reader review

sam and san
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, December 19, 2008

Amazingly good sushi. My husband grew up with a Japanese mother making authentic sushi and he knows it when he eats it. We try to get here at least 2x month. Super fresh and more affordable than most top sushi restaurants. They spend their time on creating delicious fish and making sure you are happy, not on the decor..but that is not why you are there. Am completely amazed by a previous bad review...it is so not true. Truly the best we have found in 2 years living in London.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Saturday, November 01, 2008

Cafe Japan is amazing. I've been going there since it opened 10 years ago. The sushi is wonderful, the tempura delicious and the wafu salad is highly recommended. Definitely have spicy tuna rolls and crisp fried yellow tail inside out rolls. Wash it all down with an Asahi. Amazing food at really reasonable prices - rare in London these days. Definitely need to book.
Comment on this reader review

Ginny
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Saturday, October 18, 2008

I was extremely fortunate to have been introduced to this wonderful restaurant by a Japenese friend. The food is excellent & the staff extremely competant & friendly.
Comment on this reader review

Robbie G
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Monday, September 22, 2008

We ordered yesterday a combination of 10 different rolls, 4 miso soups, a salad and edameme from Cafe Japan. The service is very good. The food isn't.

a. The fish was not very good. The fatty tuna pieces were probably the worst I've ever received and was almost non-edible. The red tuna was much more pink than red. The salmon was fine.

b. The rolls looked anything but appetising. Sushi is supposed to be as pleasure to look at as it is to eat it. The rolls that we received were rolled very unprofessionally and looked, well, bad!

c. The seaweed salad was probably the worst I've ever received. It was basically pieces of old lettuce and bland tasting seaweed pieces that cost £0.50 a pack in supermarket. We threw it all out.

d. The miso soup was nothing special but we didn't expect much from it either so that was fine (£1.50 a bowl).

The price of regular rolls in Cafe Japan is reasonable but I would not describe it as cheap. For £4.60 per salmon avocado roll you can get much better sushi elsewhere.

All in all we were very disappointed and won't try this place again. There are simply better places around in West Hampstead and elsewhere, that actually care about serving fresher, better looking, appetising sushi.
View/Add comments (1)

Marcos
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Sunday, August 10, 2008

Thee best Sushi and Japanese food ever! Very fun atmosphere and fantastic food!

Great friendly service and reasonable priced so you won't break the bank going to dinner.

I definitely recommend Cafe Japan!
Comment on this reader review

Crys
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Definetly best Japanese restaurant in London!

Try sashimi super-hot, eel sushi, sea urchin sushi and fried crispy tuna rolls.

Black cod main dish is really good too!

I will keep going every week as always!!!

Strongly recomended
Comment on this reader review

SUPERMAN
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Friday, March 28, 2008

This restaurant is amazing. My husband and I have been going to Cafe Japan for several years now and it's by far our favourite Japanese restaurant in London. The spicy crispy yellow tail rolls are to die for! The fish is very fresh and the service warm and friendly.
Comment on this reader review

Deepa Ramchandani
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, March 20, 2008

We read all these glowing reviews and naturally went to see and eat for ourselves. And we have to say we were disappointed, not hugely so, but noticeably. We thought the seaweed salad was fine and the miso soup also but honestly that was about as good as it got. The sushi was OK but not beautiful by any means and the sashimi likewise was fair at best. I had the grilled eel set which was an interesting experience, The eel itself was not at all bad but there was a genuinely horrid salmon item at top left which I couldn't and wouldn't eat. So that was pretty much that.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Saturday, November 24, 2007