Ordered Ramen, mango juice and Don. Not the authentic Japanese. But it was good. Small seating space. Decent food. Their Sushi looked good. Yet to try it. Warm waiters.
Amazing place. Very good ambience and you can always judge a good restaurant if you spot ‘foodie’ clientele there. The menu has a great Mia if fresh and healthy savouries. The drinks are to die for. The iced matcha mango is good for summer and the pumpkin spice matcha latte is great for autumn. The matcha soft ice is also great. Not too sickly and not too tar.
*Top picks* - DESSERT! This place is known for its dessert (or that's how I got to know about it!) and you need to love matcha to be a fan. They have everything from matcha macarons to brownies and to the absolutely velvety, melt-in-the-mouth matcha gateau. The food is a bit pricey for standard Japanese offerings but this is definitely a dessert win!
The place is heaven for green tea / matcha lovers. I think they’re specialised in match because their menu revolves around matcha. They have various types of matcha teas, ice creams, and cakes. The udon was ok, but the ice cream and tea were very nice, so I assume that their matcha dishes should be very nice.
This is the cutest collaboration ever! i love their matcha latte, perfect taste, not too sweet, but could've probably added more matcha as i like mine a bit strong. The Houjicha soft seeve was my absolute favourite! It was perfectly paired with the tangyness of the berry coulis and the crunch of the granola added a nice texture. The poke felt very healthy, which i is what i was looking for. I chose the zoodles instead of the traditional rice, and it was so simple, tasty and refreshing!
Wonderful desserts and matcha teas - amazing vibe but the a la carte might be a bit pricey - could get better deals at other places. Though the poke is brilliant!! Must try!!
BEST MATCHA SUNDAE!
Their Tokio Sundae is absolutely delicious.
A bed of granola with date syrup sits under the ice cream. A small matcha brownie hides in the middle of the swirl of matcha goodness. The sundae is topped with the same sweet date syrup and 2 mini mochis with a tiny scoop of red bean paste.
A MUST TRY
Although the meals and tea quite expensive, but I love the ambience and staff service. Fair warning, its difficult to get seat in here and you can't reserve in advance. Sushi option quite homogenous, not too bad for japanese sushi but not that rich in taste as well, just so so. More fancy for pot of tea option, I strongly recommend their teapot! 👌
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Went here on a Friday night for dinner with my husband. We arrived around 7.30 and were directed straight to our table, without prior booking whatsoever. Almost all of the tables were all occupied, so probably we're just lucky to get seated right away. The interior was Japanese enough with some ornaments here and there, and the lights were dimmed on the back section of the restaurant, so the vibe was chill enough. The service was prompt and the team who served us that night was very nice and friendly.
We ordered Temari Sushi Set, Beef Rice Bowl, and Gyoza for our meals. They were good enough. The Gyoza was not too soft nor crispy and the fillings was tasty. No problem with the sushi, it's just that I was wondering why they shaped the sushi rice into a ball shaped, unlike the usual shape, really. Since it made it difficult to eat the sushi in one go. As for the rice bowl, the portion was generous for both the beef and rice, it could be eaten by two people. However, the beef was a bit too salty.
Lovely Japanese place in the heart of South Kensington. The poke was really fresh and surprisingly filling. And there were plenty of matcha desserts to choose from. Despite it being cold outside, I knew I had to get the sundae and it didn't disappoint! I'll definitely need to come back and try the other desserts! Service was really good as well.
The matcha gateau and matcha soft serve were both alright, but I suppose this place can fix anybody with matcha cravings, they have other matcha products on menu too like matcha and strawberry shortcake, matcha chocs etc.
Kat - Oats And Cheesecake
+4.5
Stopped in for a quick pre-theatre meal and it was served in about two minutes flat, talk about service! The tuna pokē with avocado, onion, soy sauce dressing and zucchini noodles was so light and refreshing but also very tasty. I'll definitely come back next time I'm in London to try their salmon and tofu varieties.
Beautiful sushi and tasty authentic noodles with balanced broth! Macha variety outstanding - iced tea is a must on a hot day! Would highly recommend tasting a few things!
Tombo can get very busy, especially in the evenings with a queue of people waiting to be seated. The wait is usually no longer than 5 minutes, and it's easy to see why this small South Kensington eatery is so popular.
The menu is small but offers good variety from sushi to katsu curry for main courses. The drinks selection is also good with different teas and alcohol on offer. Indeed, a matcha bar would be incomplete without a huge selection of matcha inspired delicacies. The dessert menu is packed full of matcha treats from brownies to macaroons and the fabulous matcha sundae to a matcha tea set.
The main courses are decent, though they don't seem to be prepared on premises ... but this place is especially brilliant to sit back with a cup of tea and sample all the matcha desserts.
It's a little pricy but nothing you wouldn't expect for the area.
Definitely worth a try if you are passing.
Kristine Diana Tsiknaki
+5
I absolutely love Japanese food (one of my favourite cuisines in the world) so I was very excited to find this cute little place for lunch.
I had the Unagi Don (eel) for my main which was delicious and then I got the matcha strawberry cake and shared two of the matcha beverages with my friend (I can't remember their names).
I have to say the cake was amazing and I could have loads of it if I could. It's light and fluffy and the tea and strawberry flavours are brought together with the cream. You have to have it! The Sakura macaroons were really nice as well, it's like childhood dreams in food form.
I definitely recommend this place and I definitely want to go back for more cakes and drinks. I might be developing a matcha tea dessert obsession but it's too good to resist.
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After a long time looking for a place to enjoy a good Japanese dessert in London, I found Tombo.
So last Sunday, we woke up early to go to the Natural History Museum and took the opportunity to finish the afternoon visiting this matcha bar and cafe.
From outside looks very nice, as we walked-in upon a queque, we realized it was full and although was very little, it has different divided environments, even a tiny terrace with a couple of tables.
While we're waiting in line for a table (5 minutes), we could delight ourselves watching the variety of desserts on the display and the sushi chef making some dishes as well.
The truth is that all looked spectacular, I did not know which to choose, one that most caught my attention was the matcha tiramisu and macaroons, I took note to order them later at the table.
It is noteworthy that the atmosphere is very cozy with traditional Japanese simply decorative details and symbols that were combined with London’s style. The noise was considerable, although no longer upset you when the desserts arrives to the table.
Once we seated, I realized that we arrived late for a desserts tasting, they offered it till 5pm. A pity, but it’s an excuse to come back, we should always see the positive side of everything, don’t you think?
We missed a waiter suggestion, recommendation an a little smile too. They looked like humanoids, but then I though, hold on, we are not in Tokyo. So we ordered following our instinct and of course the entrance's display. We went with the intention of eating desserts, not sushi or hot dishes, which impressed me, I thought it was Japanese sweets place, but I was wrong... I'll have to go there again to try their knife's skills.
Anyway, we went for the Matcha Sunday, a green tea ice cream with granola, azuki or red bean paste and date syrop with matcha brownie topping, was great, one of the best I've eaten, the touch of matcha powder as topping and its combination with the granola was a totally success, not instead the green tea tiramisu, for me, that dessert is not even close to a real tiramisu at all, it can not be called like that, this GT buttery cream is an offense to traditional Italian dessert, but I must say that my daughter liked the Oreo’s base. We also enjoyed the Matcha Strawberry short cake, very well done and it has a real good balance, very fresh, lovely spongy and with nice proportion of each element, finally we loved the Matcha frappe iced milk shake, it's good quality matcha presence is questionless.
As I said before, the service was very poor, the staff limited only to take the order. Although I have to say that when we were about to leave, the kitchen team thanked us in a very Japanese and pleasantly way.
I really like this place, it's because of this place that I'm so obsessed with matcha.
Their lunch offers are brilliant, their food is tasty and their incredibly humble for both quality and location.
What you see is what you eat, I had the lunch box with salmon and sushi sides, I also managed to down a beautiful matcha latte. The prices are incredibly fair, it won't break the bank and if you work in the area I'm confident it's now your new favourite lunch place.
Lovely cute place to have a bite or drink. It's a world of matcha! The decoration of this matcha sundae is lovely, the brownies were really nice, the ice cream was slightly too sweet for me though but the matcha tart was really good!! Also, try their chai drink!
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If you don't know already, my life is all about drinking tea (and eating food as well), in search for "a nice cup of tea". White tea, green tea, oolong tea and black tea, with over 30 varieties of tea leaves at home; I think I can soon start a tea house. Ask me a tea question, I can tell you the type of tea, the origin and brewing method. When Tombo started to trend on Instagram with their matcha desserts, I knew I had to come and investigate. "Tea is one of the mainstays of civilisation in this country and causes violent disputes over how it should be made" - George Owell Located around the corner of South Kensington tube station, it is a small family run Japanese café named Tombo. Looking at the menu, the food seems very healthy or maybe too healthy for my liking. But I was here for two things, dessert and tea. When it comes to tea, I can be very critical. I firmly believed that beside breakfast tea, milk should not be added to tea (I can drink breakfast tea without milk). In the case of matcha latte, that is another story for another day. Matcha Sundae I was surprised to see most patisseries on the dessert menu are imported from Lanka patisserie (another place that I need to visit). So I was a bit let down that most are not made by Tombo. Nevertheless, ordered a matcha sundae. It had matcha brownie cubes and chocolate wafer straw on top, cruchy cornflakes at the bottom and if I have not mistaken it had caramel sauce too. Good matcha soft serve, but the flavour of matcha is quite mild. It melted ridiculously fast. If you're greedy, eat one by yourself. If you're on a diet, share it with a friend. In my case, I shared one with Mr T. Matcha (hot) served with petit sweet of the day Matcha is a fine powdered Japanese green tea. Instead of infusing the tea leaves, matcha is incorporated with hot water. A good quality matcha should have an intensive green colour which Tombo ticks the box, deep vegetal taste and a strong aroma with a lingering sweetness (umami)
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If you hadn’t already noticed I’m OBSESSED with Japanese food right now. I’m practically living off sushi and I expect to look like an extra-large fatty tuna nigiri by the end of it all. With my addiction still very curent, I made my way over to South Kensington one evening to check out neighborhood local, Tombo. We arrived mid-week expecting to find a desolate dining room, but instead we were faced with a huge queue spiralling out of the door. Thankfully our reservation meant we could skip that part and get to the nitty-gritty – eating and drinking (hard life I know).
Tombo is a family run cafe which has recently had a makeover and decided to turn a proportion of its space into a slightly more formal restaurant, but with the cafe side of it still very much at the entrance. The food is also very, very healthy. Perhaps a little too healthy for myself if I’m honest. To get us in the healthy(ish) mood we treated ourselves to a Match tea cocktail, laced with Shochu – it was nice, but nothing spectacular mind you. Sushi is my guilty pleasure, so trying the offering here at Tombo was a simple decision. A selection of neatly presented maki rolls, filled with salmon teriyaki and a prawn tempura. The biggest issue I had here was the rice, it was much too stodgy and in fact had little flavour. The fillings were very good and the tempura batter light and crispy. As far as sushi offerings go in London, I sadly regret to inform you the stuff here at Tombo is really very ordinary.
We admittedly weren’t very healthy at this healthy cafe. A large cup of chilled sake was absolutely delicious. Fruity, ever so slightly nutty and full of freshness – one of my favourite summer tipples. With its pristine purity we decided to match this drink with a large don bowl filled with a mountain of well cooked multigrain rice, steamed vegetables and teriyaki chicken. While its portion size may have been good value the dish was severely lacking in seasoning. The chicken was very well cooked (the brown kind) and oh so juicy – but I just couldn’t get over the lack of flavour. It was essentially a bowl of food not too dissimilar to something I could rustle up at home – so that may give you an insight into my cooking skills.
The best dish and easily one I’d return for alone for was this beautiful katsu curry rice bowl. Succulent pieces of chicken wrapped in a golden panko crumb blanket and with more of that well cooked rice. The sauce was really very lovely containing just a faint whiff of curry powder, a good stock and seasoned to utter perfection. With dishes such as this here at Tombo, it does beg the question of why everything else here can’t have just as much pazazz as this. Tombo was certainly an interesting find in South Kensington (conveniently by the underground) and while its queue may be spiralling out the door, it’s very much attracting a certain type of clientele. I was the only person drinking alcohol and not dressed in my running gear – I think that explains it all. Tombo isn’t the worst restaurant in the area by no means, it’s just a little too healthy for me personally.
Dessert review: Yes! Yes! Yes! An awesome place for green tea fanatics like me.
There's a huge selection of green tea drinks (including fraps) and desserts to choose from. They also stock delicious cakes from Lanka - perfect if you're not keen on venturing out to Finchley Road.
I ordered the Matcha Sundae (generous portion size & extremely creamy ice cream) and the Match Tiramisu (so divine - I think they use Oreo as a base which makes it even better)!
I'll definitely be back for that tiramisu!!
Note: There's often a queue so be prepared to wait up to an hour to get a table.. HOWEVER I believe they do takeaway which is a good option as you can sit near the square outside the station to eat & for a spot of people watching (fingers crossed the weather stays warm)!
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If you want authentic and light Japanese cuisine, Tombo is your place to go to. If you want matcha desserts, you simply HAVE to go there. It was the reason that brought me there, but I was delighted beyond my expectations.
I don't exactly remember when I first fell for the distinct taste of matcha, Japanese green tea. Fact is, since then I've been trying to get my hands on anything with matcha, be it matcha bread, matcha chocolate or matcha candy. Unfortunately, it's not that easy to buy matcha products here, unless you go to the Japan Centre or the bi-annual Hyper Japan. So when Emma sent me a link to Tombo, I jumped out of joy. Their matcha desserts looked incredible!
Tombo is casual Japanese Cafe, Deli & Restaurant, serving fresh meals, gorgeous desserts and soothing teas. To avoid the queue on Saturdays, Emma and I went to South Kensington around 2pm. Luckily we were sat straightaway, while there was a queue forming behind us. Emma has studied the menu extensively beforehand, though, I took my time deciding between all the great offerings at Tombo. It wasn't easy, because there were so many different teas and dishes that I've never tried at any other Japanese restaurant before. In the end I decided on the Sakura green tea (cherry blossom kuki cha) and a Sashimi Bento. After having enjoyed the rich flavours of our teas, the food was served beautifully arranged. My bento included salmon sashimi, rice and a selection of Japanese vegetables. Especially the vegetables impressed me, as they were done to perfection. The steamed vegetables were crunchy, a big plus! Together they offered a range of flavours. My favourite was the nori salad, I wouldn't have minded a full bowl of it. I personally wouldn't have known, but Emma confirmed that these side dishes couldn't be more authentic, reminding her of her time in Japan. The great thing about this type of food is that it leaves you feeling filled, but not bloated.
After this satisfying meal, we ordered dessert, the main reason for visiting Tombo. Unlike other Japanese restaurants, their dessert menu is full of deliciousness, from different sundaes to a variety of cakes. There's even the option of afternoon tea! We both went for the matcha sundae that was filled with matcha ice cream, matcha gateau, azuki paste and oats. Oh my god, I loved it so much. How can something be so delicious? The way the soft matcha gateau mixed with the ice cream was indescribable. Just the thought of it is making me drool again.
Writing up this review, I feel like I have to plan my next visit to Tombo again. I'm quite lazy when it comes to travelling to West London, but Tombo is definitely worth the trip. Plus, considering we only paid £23, it's kind of a no-brainer, isn't it? Despite it being quite a busy place, especially on a Saturday, the friendly staff didn't make you feel like you had to rush out to make place for the next guest. So Emma and I had enough freedom to take all the food shots we wanted.
Missjapan. Genuine Japanese food for a change. Me and friends all love Tombo Katsu Curry, Bento Box, Temaki Sushi.and Matcha Latte. Always go before Albert Hall and after V&A visits. Highly recommended.
Katsu Curry. By far the best katsu curry I've had in london, beats Wagamamas. The meat is fresh and breadcrumbs are crispy, and the sauce is perfect.
I also had a lovely green tea chocolate gateaux cake, which i hear they source from the Primrose Hill patissiere Lanka.
I would highly recommend. The atmosphere is calm and stylish. Will definitely be going back. A gem.
hmmmm... I have waited 1 hour for a table for 6ppl. The dessert here, I could rate it was 5 stars. Its all about matchaaa (greentea). Not really impress with the sushi and sashimi. The thing is their rice, i dunno why, they are really soft and tasty.
Afternoon tea at Tombo was an amazing surprise! Not only is it exceptionally affordable, but it's also super delicious. For something different and healthy, I highly recommend this experience. My friend ordered the Teriyaki chicken bowl, and it was equally as good. I've written a review on my blog, Sunny in London, and have many pictures showing how beautiful the food looks also.
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V.A and I headed to South Kensington on a Saturday afternoon around 2pm. We found the restaurant pretty easily as it's only a minute walk from the tube station, and is right next door to Exhibition road. It was quite busy inside, but we were sat straight away - it seemed that we had timed our arrival perfectly.
I had already decided prior to our visit what I would be having - the Bonsai tea (genmaicha with matcha) and a Miso Salmon Bento. When our tea arrived it was presented in a traditional Japanese lidless pot and cup, with a thermos of hot water for top-ups. The smell of the tea wafted over us, and I was automatically relaxed. Green tea can be a little bitter for some people, but I find the flavours distinct and refreshing. Our food took took a little while to arrive, but it meant we were able to enjoy our tea properly. When it did arrive my bento came with a large portion of miso salmon, rice and a variety of salads. Japanese salads are my favourite - they're full of flavour and offer much more in terms of nourishment than their British counterparts. So you can imagine how happy I was when I spotted 4 on my plate. Each one containing a variety of vegetables, some marinated with sauce, others pickled, but all containing authentic Japanese ingredients. This is what I'd been missing since my move back from Tokyo.
We probably spent a good hour eating and chatting, and it was lovely to be offered that luxury and not rushed out of the establishment - as some London restaurants tend to do. The best thing about Japanese food, apart from the taste, is that you can eat a good meal and not feel bloated or stuffed. Of course that meant we had room for pudding too - that meant the matcha sundae! Tombo's desserts are one of the main reasons behind their popularity, so I had high expectations. My matcha sundae included matcha ice cream, matcha gateau, azuki paste and oats. My verdict? Absolute heaven! Although really it was the small bites of matcha cake that won me over. They were moist and soft with a potent taste of matcha. I will definitely be ordering the matcha gateau next time!
At the end our bill came to only £23 each! Lovers of Japanese food in London will know this is ridiculously affordable. Will I be back? You couldn't stop me if you tried!
It’s a lovely little restaurant just a couple of minutes walk from the V&A museum. The food is more home style but quite tasty. I do not recommend the flowery green tea though, it’s too soft tasting like warm water. The staff are very nice. Recommend it for lunch or afternoon tea alone or with a few friends.
Convenient place to go after the long day at the museums. But not the best for Japanese food in London at all. Food is a bit bland but not bad tasting. Curry was very nice. Do not recommend the green tea as it is too bitter. I think they brew it for way too long. I heard matcha desserts are nice though. Need to try that. Service was nice and friendly.
I went there at 1 ish and there were some people lining up, I waited a bit and someone came out and gave me a maul, so I can think about what I want, which I think that's really good that I can have more time to think what I want. Then not long I went in and ordered a chicken rice and a Tokyo ice-cream sundae, the chicken rice is good, the sauce is really good, if there is one thing I really need to pick about are the green pees, they were a bit bitter, but overall the chicken rice is really good. Then I ate my ice-cream, the macho taste was the best I have ever had in London, is not too sweet and a really good thickness, the mocha munchie was really good as well, never had that good quality of Japanese food in London before. 100% going to come back, and also with family and friends.
I’ve been there twice. Matcha latte is really good. Sushi is delicious. Chicken Teriyaki set is a bit disappoint on chicken. I don’t think it’s authentic teriyaki. Cake is too sweet for me. Overall I really enjoy matcha latte there 😋😋😋
Came here with a couple of friends for a meetup! Definitely recommend for any time of day - the range of items makes it suitable for a sweet treat but also a dinner as they have a great selection of rice and poke bowls. Matcha heaven too - lattes, sundaes, desserts✨ Will definitely be returning! ☺️
I didn't get too much but I recommend the takoyaki and red bean sundae:) The only thing I'd say is that some things are on the pricier side but the actual mains are in line with what you expect from a typical restaurant in London.
One of my new favorite Japanese restos! We had the chicken katsu curry, Japanese potato salad, gyudon, miso soup, and the Halloween special dessert.
Katsu curry, potato salad, and gyudon were delicious, the miso soup was good but a bit salty. Dessert wasn’t very sweet, it almost didn’t taste like a dessert, I wasn’t the biggest fan.
Would definitely go back!
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We came here after visiting the Titanosaur exhibition at the Natural History Museum, I was looking for somewhere new to try and can't believe I never knew about this place!
The food is scrumptious and desserts especially delectable. The service was excellent and the small team were constantly busy yet were very observant to their diner's needs whilst also efficiently dealing with any takeaway orders - their Ice creams are particularly popular. The decor is simple yet pretty with a tree decoration in the centre of our table and foliage edging the archway.
Tombo Café doesn't take bookings and just ask you to turn up and they shall endeavour to seat you. Although it was a weekday, at 6.15pm at the peak dining time, we were still seated quickly.
We even got free cake (but this is not a regular offer)! - when they tried to cut up a portion of Hojicha Burnt Cheesecake into 3 with ugly results, they gave us another intact piece as well. Such a courteous, relaxed dining experience that will certainly have me returning.
Have been going here for years for the drinks and poke bowls and the last time I have been was 2019 - went again yesterday and they did not disappoint. The poke bowls are still stunning, and lived up to my expectations.
We had the Osaka Fire and Kyoto Kaisen - which is always a classic (for me anyway!). For the price and the portion of it was oh so worth it. Especially during the summer, both really is a refreshing thing - it was very filling and satisfying!
We also ordered matcha latte (cold) which was devoured in seconds. I have encountered different kinds of matcha in my life, (the good, the bad, the worst, the premium one) but honestly, the matcha powder used in here is top-notch.
Honestly satisfied with our experience and we cannot wait to come back to try the rest of menu and some of the desserts! We're eyeing the new black sesame and matcha roll and the sakura cheesecake. Highly recommend the place!
First time visiting Tombo and it didn’t disappoint. The food was absolutely delicious, especially the prawn tempura in my Prawn Tempura Udon. I had already started eating when I took the photos, couldn’t help myself! I was too full to get dessert but I’m definitely getting it next time I visit.
Staff were very friendly and polite and the food was prepared quickly as well!
If you’re in South Kensington you should definitely visit.
Ice cream and green milk tea are both delicious, same as curry chicken rice. A good cafe to chat and stay!
We came here for an early dinner before the show, and we got a seat right away. I can imagine eating in this type of restaurant in Japan. Japan music is playing in the background, and it seems popular with the younger crowd and family. The eel rice with seaweed was delicious, and so was the poke bowl, matcha ice cream. We will come back here again.
The atmosphere is relaxing and soothing. All The staff gave an amazing service particularly Zainab. She is so cheerful and smiles a lot. The food are amazing. They serves it quick! Loved Unagi Don!!! I personally recommend it. the price is worth it! Matcha Iced Tea is stunning!! Sakura cheesecake so lovely!!! Definitely will come back again here next time I come here in London!!
Great food. Busy place with a fast moving queue. There was a short delay for our food ( like minutes!) and it was accompanied by courtesy and free ice cream. The prawn dumplings were the best..
EDIT. The cream wasn't free.. But the food was still amazing. .
Nice small Japanese restaurant near the South Kensington station. Food was great especially the Unagi Don as well as the matcha sundae. Definitely Would recommend. Great experience overall! Many thanks to our server Zainab and rest of staff!
This restaurant is very very nice, becuase of the atmosphere and inside. I was going to the Science Museum in London and me and my dad was hungry, so we went to this place and we didn't expect that the food was going to be AMAZING. The service was about 5-8 minutes. I had sushi with a bowl of rice, and my dad had having something (I don't remember the name).But you HAVE to come and eat before lunchtime because the customers will come in very quick. We manage to get a seat in time.
Heavenly food would go back everyday if I could 💚
Menu is loaded with all unique kinds of foods the sushi & matcha drinks was a favourite for me! Nice to visit here after a busy long day at the v&a
We came here for dessert and it didn’t disappoint, atmosphere was lovely. Staff was very helpful and accommodating. We had 3 prams & they make us feel very welcomed. Tried the Sakura blossom latte and a few different cakes & they were so good!
They are good fair price in London. And the volume of food is really good for the price! I chose Kyoto poki and couldn't finish it although I'm a big eater. Their desserts are very nice too. It's worth it to pop in when you visit the museum.
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