Matsuri St James's

This restaurant was the first time i had ever eaten Japanese food and at first i wished id had a burger to fill up on before i ate here, because i thought that japanese food was light and delicately proportioned, but really, i had nothing to worry about.

It was the first place i had ever tasted raw fish, i had a mixed plate of it and it was delicious and i was surprised that raw fish tasted so good.

The quality of the fish is very fresh and you can tell from the taste,.

They do tempanyaki, where they cook the food infront of your table and serve it to you and its exciting with all of us sitting round, watching the chef, especially when they make the hot icecream dessert on the cooking plate, its like a show.

The atmosphere is lovely, its mellow and its a nice place to go if you want to impress a date, or friends or to take clients to talk business, lots to talk about and lots to try, i urge people to try things they havnt tasted before, dont be scared of the raw fish.

The quality and the customer service was good, just right and the food was great, really fresh. The price is not cheap but its not really expensive either, but you pay for the quality of the freshness of the food and wine and for the whole Japanese experience.

Would thoroughly reccomend, nice to dress up for a smart meal.
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Miss Fussy
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Monday, June 02, 2008

My first time dining at Matsuri was a really good experience. The staffs were all really nice and polite (from receptionist to waitress to chefs). The place had a really cosy atmosphere and it was beautifully decorated.

There were varities of Japanese food on the menu. They had sushis, soups, hand rolls, teppanyaki, tempura... the whole nine yards... Everything is fresh and delicious and they serve really good drinks as well. I sat at the teppanyaki table and it was fun to watch the chef prepare the dishes right in front of you. Definitely worth ordering... Prices were not as expensive as I thought it would be.... I actually thought it was reasonable considering you get really good ambience and fresh Japanese food.

I will definitely dine here again and would recommend this to everyone!!!
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Gina
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, May 09, 2008

Lunch here was reasonably priced and very enjoyable. The waitresses (all Japanese, dressed in traditonal kimonos) were very polite and efficient, and the cooking was superb: you can either be seated at the sushi bar or at one of the many tepan-yaki tables. We chose the latter and it was enjoyable watching the skilled chef preparing everything on the hot plate right in front of us. Everything was fresh and delicious, with excellent seafood and a very large selection of Japanese pickles and vegetables.

The dining room itself is in the basement and has a slight 1980s feel to it, but it is none the worse for it really: it is very relaxing and tranquil away from the bustle of the street, and felt quite intimate and private, and has effective air conditioning since it was a comfortable temperature despite all the large hot plates!
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Peter
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Sunday, April 27, 2008

We didn't have a reservation but there was plenty of space. The food was very fresh, but I found that I had chosen dishes that didn't go together that well, despite having asked the waitress whether I was choosing correctly or not. So I would say that to maximise the experience, it would help if the staff could offer better assistance.
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Thursday, January 31, 2008

One of the best Japanese restaurat in LDN, as the other reviews suggest. I don't understand why it is not in the top 4 list.

Matsuri should be ranked #1 or #2, at par with Nobu. Definitely pricey, but worthed any penny.

ps: Sakura (#4 in the top list) has gone down the reviews. It should be removed ASAP as it has become one of the worst eating experiences in London.
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Nick Z
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Saturday, March 31, 2007

Go for the spicy tuna hand rolls!!

Went to the sushi counter last night - everything prepared from scratch in front of you, searingly fresh fish, so tasty, so good. Attentive service. Great hot sake. Pricey but perfect for a treat every so often.
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Adi
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Saturday, March 17, 2007

I have been many times to Matsuri and always long to go back as soon as I can. It is on the pricey side but as they saying goes : you get what you pay for.

The food is fantastic and so fresh. If you ever want to try seafood or Japanese food at it's best this is the place to go.

100% perfect everytime!
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Eleanna Zissis
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, February 15, 2007

I was taken here for my birthday last week and while I had a good time, left with slightly mixed feelings. The (unstaffed) ground floor bar looks more like an unfinished bingo hall rather than the reception area of a top restaurant. However, once downstairs, the atmosphere changes and you do feel that you are in a discreet enclave despite sharing your seating area with at least 4 other people. Food and service were good although I did feel the Fireball icecream was a little tacky and gimmicky. Prices are for that special occasion only - unless you have a business expenses account which many diners around us obviously did.
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Catherine
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Sunday, June 04, 2006

This is the best Japanese in London and amongst the best restaurants overall in this city. Excellent fresh food cooked in front of you - it doesn't get much better than this. I travel to Japan often and this captures much of my dining experiences I have had there, including the stale and non-glamour decor (this is a plus) and excellent service that only the Japanese can achieve.

You get the freshest and best basic foods without any fuzzy and unecessary additions - expertly prepared from scratch in front of you.
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Gaijin
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, June 02, 2006

I wasn't very impressed with this restaurant, its extremely pricey and the food is not really up to standard. If you're going to spend quite a bit I'd suggest Kiku or Tsunami in Clapham.
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Sam - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Monday, February 13, 2006