Very authentic Japanese food. One of the best sushi in London sans the frou frou. If you do visit, the hot pot is a must !! (Shabu shabu)
This was the place I discovered what is now my favourite type of nigiri sushi: tuna belly. How can I describe it? It is juicy and flavourful and makes me shun any other form of tuna. It isn’t available in a lot of places, which is probably a good thing, as I would empty my bank account eating it! In fact, I may have ordered one more piece after we’d finished eating, just to satisfy my palate…
This is a long overdue review of Kiku (菊), what I think is one of the best Japanese restaurants in London for a reasonable price. Sure, there may be better out there but they’re either insanely hard to book, expensive or both. I think I probably have to go out on a limb here. Kiku is traditional Japanese food. Not to be confused with the likes of Wasabi, Itsu and Sticks’n’sushi which are all heavily westernised versions of Japanese food. You couldn’t be caught dead eating things like that in Japan. Neither is Japanese food just sushi or ramen. That is only the tip of the iceberg. To give you an idea of comparators, you might as well say that British food is just fish and chips.
I think I have to give this restaurant the award for one of the best Japanese restaurants I have been to in London. Their lunch sets run from GBP20-30 and are excellent value. Try especially the Kiku special which comes with Tempera, Sushi, Miso soup and Sashimi. Excellent quality at that price. And I should know, as I lived in Tokyo for 2 years!
it has over 30 varieties of fish , 20 types of sushi rolls and 12 nigiri + sashimi sets. The sea urchin sushi I sampled was refreshingly sweet, perhaps freshly delivered from Canada in the morning. The sushi rice had the perfect size, small and petite compared to the sushi we normally have in London. Lunch time was packed with local business men, who all went for the sushi lunch set at £25 each without looking at the menu. We were the only table to order from the full menu at lunch, which did take sometime to order compared to the easy lunchsets. The staff were all Japanese and extremely polite. Pickled Chinese cabbage Not as flavoursome as the ones I’ve tried in Sa
A friend recommended Kiku to me saying that it was one of the best sushi restaurants in London and so I absolutely had to try it. I don't know if it's the best in London but I had some really great sushi at Kiku. The quality of the fish is amazing and they have a good variety of sushi. They also take great care to present their dishes well and every dish they serve looks beautiful.
The restaurant itself looks pretty traditional and plain. I thought it was nice but could have been made to look more like a high-end restaurant given that it's quite an expensive restaurant with high-quality dishes.
The service was also quite good but it felt like the waiters could have been more helpful. They seemed to expect clients to be familiar with traditional Japanese cuisine and so they were not that helpful in explaining what the dishes were or in recommending what to eat.
Very traditional vibe, but holy moly... Phenomenal fish quality. Like being in Tokyo. Order the grilled hamachi collar (off menu). Been going here for 12 years. It's pricy but worth every penny. Great value for lunch but must book during the week as the secret is out. No reservations needed for dinner.
One of the best experience that I’ve ever had! You can eat the unique flavors of traditional Japanese cuisine in a minimalist restaurant, away from ostentation. The products are very fresh and premium quality. Especially their sukiyaki, sushi, udon and ice creams are incredible. I will visit again and again.
Service is immaculate and the food is delicious. I’d say it’s worth the steep price tag. Though I wish there were more options involving carbs! Highly recommend
Had a really good Sushi Lunch Menu: tasty miso salad, high quality fish (surprised by how good the egg was), miso soup was one of the best I ever had. Perhaps could have been more generous with the fruit amount but overall great experience. The Chef and the staff are very well-mannered and nice. Check out my insta @braggiapproves for more food recommendations.
I think this is the best Japanese authentic restaurant in London. Lunch set around £3x. Dinner is expensive here. Around £100-120 per person depend on what dishes and sushi ordered.
Authentic Japanese restaurant. Price is very high but quality is also high. Well trained staffs and full of Japanese atmospheres. worth to pay for Japanese living abroad and missing home or would like to try Japanese food, not only sushi.
I didn't make a reservation for lunch but it was full after 12:30. Might be better to make a reservation before visit.
A brisk welcome and shown to our traditional plain table and offered a reasonably priced selection drinks and wines. The sashimi was generous portion and very very fresh. The authentic Japanese eel followed then came shabu shabu. Our host took great care at the cooking at the table and the presentation of this dish.
We had a good experience overall and service was great 👍🏻 not all the dishes that we ordered were a hit🫤 but majority was good❗️
Amazing quality of food and authentic Japanese feel. If you come for lunch, Kiku special set is highly recommended
Best traditional Japanese food I’ve had in London! Food was really delicious and well balanced—I got the dark miso soup and grilled salmon, along with a side of Japanese pickles. Highly recommend! Great menu selection as well.
Great quality sushi in a very dated decor but with great service and impeccable selection and presentation.
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