All reader reviews by shivers

Sakura

I was really disappointedly with this restaurant (!). After reading so many negative reviews, I was expecting to see absolute pandemonium.

I'd booked a table for four at 8pm; a sign on the till warned patrons that they'd only be seated if they arrived together! We were seated within 5 minutes and promptly given some extraordinarily large menus. There's a lot of choice for food here and the prices are no worse than what you would expect for the West End.

The food arrived really quickly and although it was hard to get the attention of the waitress for our table, the service was surprisingly average for London with enough waiters/waitresses to cope with the floor.

I think too many people's expectations are too high. Mr Hiro certainly runs the floor like a dictator, clapping his hands at the waitresses whenever a table needs to be cleared. But the best thing about this restaurant is the food, it's quite authentic and tasty. Just remember if you want Shabu-Shabu or Suki-Yaki, then you need to tell the front-desk in advance so that they can give you a bigger table.

So, if you want to visit, just book in advance, turn up on time, and laugh off any bad service you might receive. I'd rather go to a restaurant like this with zero expectations and be pleasantly surprised than turn up expecting 5* service; frankly, this restaurant is unique.

Friday, June 27, 2008
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 5

Paras

I went to Paras for my birthday and had reserved a table for 15 people. Needless to say, Paras did a really good job with organising the table, laying out decorations, taking the food orders and even provided a birthday cake. Their service was excellent because the staff were really switched on and friendly.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8