Daruma-San

I dropped by Daruma san tonight with my partner after a craving for sushi - and was it fulfilled! Having lived in Japan for several years it is your quintessential izakaya-esque restaurant in the heart of Finchley central. the agedashi-tofu was some of the best I ever had and the sashimi fresh and juicy. Not cheap but one never minds paying for good food.
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Diane
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Monday, March 17, 2008

This is my local sushi place - the sushi is really delicious - my only complaint would be that they don't do takeaway sushi! The other food is nice too, though a bit-over priced I think. The sushi is not bad value though. Definitely recommended for sushi.
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A - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Thursday, May 31, 2007

Took my partner here last night and had a great meal!

We had some makisushi which was fresh and wonderful as well some incredible belly pork and other starters. For our mains we had ginger pork and beef and onions. Everything was very tasty and was served very quickly by very polite staff. Most of the customers were Japanese so I guess that says something good about the restaurant. We will definately be returning soon!

Remember to book a table. There were only four or five tables other than the sushi bar.
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Mark
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, March 01, 2007

One of my favourites. Have been coming here on and off for over 12 years and it never disappoints. The welcome is warm, the room is comfortable and there is mostly a japanese clientele which is obviously a good sign.

The food has always been fresh and reliable. Sushi is reasonable value, the katsudon the best I have had, the grilled eel is also good. The cooked and grilled dishes have always been well done if not spectacular. The bill at the end is not cheap, but certainly not West End. A great place to go if you live in North London.
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Wokhei - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, February 14, 2007

This is my local Japanese place. Marvellous. It must have been here for years and it sits on the high street modestly, quietly, discretely. I've been to a few Japanese restaurants. Some of them are all over the place with conveyor belt food. Some of them have big bright lights and bold service. This place is just so unique. The staff are polite, trying, but their English is quite poor. Not as poor as my Japanese and they really do try so you ignore the language barrier (it is two ways). The sushi chef quietly gets on with his job, meticulously preparing a range of dishes. Everything comes out with a surgical precision. Green tea is free. The walls are decorated with an assortment of pictures, sports team memorabilia, and specials written on separate sheets of paper stuck to the wall with blu-tack! Seating is at the sushi-bar, at low-tables, and at 'regular' tables. Prices are keen. It's not as cheap as Atari-Ya down the road, but it's not as expensive as Jin-Kichi in Hampstead either (which are both also excellent places.) They do take-away bento boxes, at lunch-time too. Summary: reliably good food, reasonably priced, beautifully presented, with uniquely great service. London's best kept secret.
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doctorsimon
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, September 13, 2006

I live just down the road from Daruma-San making it an exceptionally convenient and tasty local. The sashimi is always of the best quality-butter soft and sinew-less, it melts in your mouth. The chicken teriyaki and miso-mackeral are delicious, perfectly seasoned and cooekd. The service is efficient and friendly and the prices reasonable making Daruma-San a must-visit.
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Chloe Barget
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Sunday, January 15, 2006

Having passed Daruma san for years, I finally went in the other evening and was really pleased that I did. It is one of the most authentically Japanese places I have been in London - the food is exactly right, freshly made, not outrageously expensive and the service is very good. The down side is that authentically Japanese does mean not much atmosphere and no sense of lighting but with sushi this nice, I can forgive them a lot! They also serve the best agedashi-dofu I have had outside Japan, where I lived for 5 years, so I do know what I am talking about! We ignored the set menus, and picked our way through our favourite dishes, ordering as we felt like it, which caused no problem at all. Two of us ate edamame, kimuchi, gyoza, a LOT of sushi, agedashi-dofu, chicken-katsu and drank 2 beers each and the bill only came to £55 including service. And the green tea is bottomless and free! What more could you ask for?
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CSL
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Thursday, December 15, 2005

The food is great and there is a variety of both sushi and hot Japanese dishes. The decor is very kitch but has an authentic cozy ambiance! The prices are very reasonable even cheap!! Definately a lot better then the overly hyped Yo sushi and chain restaurants!
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Hannah
Friday, November 11, 2005