Kikuchi in Camden

Staff and service are awful! They looked at us disapprovingly and asked if we are able to order for at least 55£. We were in smart casual and definitely didn't look poor or dirty. Every time we added something to our order a girl asked if we will be able to pay. That's ridiculous and unacceptable!!! The final amount was about 300£ and they still looked like we're going to steal something or run without paying. The worst experience in a restaurant for the whole of my life!!

My husband and I have been going to Kikuchi since we moved to London 7 years ago and from our very first time dining there, not only were our expectations met, they were exceeded! Firstly, everyone who works at Kikuchi is also so incredibly welcoming, friendly and kind and you’re always greeted so beautifully when you walk through the doors. Secondly, the sushi is by far the best sushi we have had in London and for us, it’s comparable to the sushi we have had when we have visited Japan. The fish is always of the freshest quality, the presentation is beautiful and when you put that together with the atmosphere and everyone working there, it makes for such an incredible dining experience! Kikuchi is hands down our favorite Japanese restaurant and we highly recommend it! 5 stars for Kikuchi!

One of my favourite authentic Japanese restaurants in London. Specialise in sushi and omakase, their nigiri omakase is always amazing. High quality ingredients and seasonal creative touches make it worth coming back to again and again

The quality and authenticity of the food here is about the best you'll find outside of Japan.

We came here for the omakase tasting menu and the sake taster. Each course was delivered to the table and explained, I found each course delicious. The service was attentive and friendly. Overall would I recommend as it was a great experience.

Authentic Japanese restaurant with delicious and inventive dishes. Some of the most unique flavors I’ve ever had and some of the nigiri was also the best I’ve had. I will say the Omakase was a LOT of food, death by Omakase almost, but that’s probably the best way I can think of to go 😂. Even some of the dishes I’m usually less excited about (uni, fatty tuna) were fabulous. My sake flight was very nice as well. The service was impeccable, I felt like I was being waited on hand and foot (but still felt casual and friendly). The interior is basic but warm, and honestly I came for the fish not the glam! Highly recommend.

Top notch Omakase and service. Had a great Saturday evening at Kikuchi. The omakase tasting menu was well rounded and satisfying. Pace was relaxed and plate serving was synchronized. Staff were very attentive and took care of the table allowing guests to enjoy the food, drinks and each other’s company. The chef is a master of his craft with good attention to detail and fish slices scored to enhance texture. Although the selection may not include the most rare fish varieties, the array of offerings, from toro to uni, will fulfill the desires of most sushi aficionados. The omakase was well worth the price being in Central London. A fantastic experience I wouldn’t hesitate going back to and recommending to friends. *Missed a few dishes and dessert in the photos.

Returned over a year later Super consistent Super delicious Menu updated to maintain newness Best omakase in town Superb food quality as per preparation and cooking techniques Top notch ingredient selections All fishes are mega fresh and delicious Mega attentive service and you can have almost anything you want With all the above it’s good value for money for an omakase menu It’s a cosy home like restaurant basic simple neat tidy with great food

A fuir. Nous n'y avons pas mangé puisque dès l'entrée, on nous précise que la carte n'est servie qu'à partir de 55£ par personne. 55£!!! On avait faim mais je n'ai jamais mangé pour cela..... On est reparti.

One of my best experiences in a Japanese restaurant. I really enjoyed it.

We really enjoyed the Omakase menu, restaurant itself is simple and unpretentious but food was top notch.

Used to be great few years back, unfortunately gone for the wrong path. 1. Poor menu design. No hot dishes for the a la carte, basically just sushi and sashimi. 2. Overpriced. The sushi platter was not cheap even at London standard and it doesn’t included premium ingredients like uni and jumbo prawn. You get basic pieces like salmon and tuna. Quality was overall average but the tuna was extremely mushy, tastes like it has been frozen. In summary, this place isn’t worth it, at it’s current shape. You can definitely get a better Japanese dinning experience with better quality and variety at cheaper prices elsewhere in London.

We sat at the counter for a true omakase experience where the nigiri was served one by one (if you sit at a regular table they are all served at once). It was truly enjoyable, the appetisers were perhaps a little safe but the selection of nigiri was delicious. From yellowtail, fatty tuna to eel, with their own blend of soy sauce and natural wasabi, every piece was very satisfying. They were all tender and not fishy. It was a shame that uni season is in the winter so we didn't get that. It was amazing to see the master sushi chef at work, his incredible knifework and attention to detail was mesmerising. The service was attentive and very friendly. Just before I finished the cup of green tea, I was served a new one. Would love to go back in the winter to get uni!

Best omakase in london. Forget the boring flashy spots. This is the most authentic Japenese omakase restaurant in london. Every fish is sourced from the best possible place and their sake selection is TOP!

We came for the omakase tasting menu which I really enjoyed. It consisted of appetisers (fish soup and uni), selection of sashimi (fresh and tasty) grilled dish (miso cod), selection of sushi (favourite part of the meal and came in 3 rounds), miso soup and dessert (sesame mochi with fruit). It was £120 but we were left feeling full and satisfied. The service was really polite and attentive.

The most amazing omakase experience I've had. An incredibly friendly staff and beautiful restaurant. Highly highly recommend!!

Arrived at opening time, place completely empty. Frosty manageress: 'Have you booked?'. 'No.' A look of total disdain, as if we had a cheek wanting to eat there without booking. 'Can I wait until my friend arrives, I'm expecting to meet him here.' A sigh of forbearance. Five minutes later, an offer to let us eat, but only the Tasting Menu, at £120 a head. So much for reasonably priced eats. But by now we wouldn't have eaten there if they were paying us; there was a distinctive and persistent smell of drains.

Perhaps one of the most sophisticated sushi and sashimi cuts in London. The place is simple but has a very tasty offering.

Great Japanese restaurant. Full immersion into Japanese culture with great service and great product! Highly recommend!

Very helpful and polite people!

We had the omekase, which was generous and beautifully prepared. A surprise highlight for me was the miso cod which was delicately cooked and delicious. We also had a wonderful sake, and there is an excellent choice here. Sea urchin and very fatty tuna were also amazing quality. The staff were also very helpful and friendly, really highly recommended!

Amazing Sushi! Would highly recommend the Chef’s sushi menu, which is incredibly priced at 68£. The service is also impeccable.

Impeccable service and amazing high quality fish and sushi. The 12-piece chefs platter was exactly the right amount.

Really liked the sushi here. We went for the omakase tasting experience however did think that the a la carte has limited options. Regardless the vibe was very japanese, like one of those sushi bar you could find in a corner of Tokyo. Everyone worked there was Japanese and super friendly. Would recommend. The sushi was amazingly fresh.

I felt like I was back in Japan!

イギリス留学中の娘のハーフタームにヨーロッパを旅行しています。 待ち合わせのロンドンでどうしても日本食が食べたいと言った娘とこちらを予約しました。 おまかせコースをいただきました。 お魚にピーラーでスライスした野菜の焼き物？蒸し物？あれだけがとても残念だった。 土瓶蒸しも少し味が濃すぎる。 他は良いと思います。 好みの問題かもしれませんが。

Outstanding spot for Japanese fare - highly recommend the chef’s selection of sushi, the sake flight and the mochi icecream. Excellent service and delicious food. Will definitely be back!

Amazing experience! I highly recommend going with the set menu it includes generous portions of delicious food. Should I also mention that you can smell and taste the high quality of each ingredient coming onto your plate? You def won't leave hungry and the set menu worth each pound you pay

Amazing sushi set menu, high quality food with good service and decor

We used to come here a lot, unfortunately they change their menu removing all the warm dishes so we didn’t enjoy it as much as before. We will wait for them to fix that mistake in order to come back again.

We absolutely loved Kikuchi. The service is great and the food is fantastic.

The staff is super kind and there’s a loads of games to choose from x

Omakasae is a tasting experience, was glad to chose that part. Fresh grind wasabi, each bite is different level. Every bite is refreshing and every bite is new world. Sounds like adverts? Go and try the eel roll for example.

Been a loyal customer since 2008 and dined here over fifty times. Today they refused to seat us for our reservation because we now have a baby even though she is only 6 months old and was fast asleep and wouldn’t have caused any fuss at all. Have dined in two Michelin star restaurants with the little one and never had an issue and never expected this from a casual restaurant. Easy going my a**. Luckily managed to get a res at Dinings Hartcourt St. which is a higher level sushi restaurant and doesn’t have such a ridiculous policy.

Based on great reviews, I went last night. Besides generous quantity, choice of sashimi was disappointing. It was a lot of maguro (I ordered omakase). It was nothing special. The place is very tired, looks nothing like the pictures. I travelled all the way there from Kensington for ok sushi. Also I booked to sit at the sushi bar, but the hostess sat me at a table. (Couple of other patrons had the same problem). No one wants to order omakase and sit at a table esp the entire restaurant has little atmosphere.

We had the most fantastic time trying the tasting menu at Kikuchi. Without a doubt this is the best Japanese food in London. Every dish was superb, beautifully presented and with great quality fresh fish. The staff were lovely and very knowledgeable about the food as well. Will be returning!

An authentic omakase experience. As someone who travel to Japan a lot, I find it lucky to have such a hidden gem in London. Top quality and decently priced. Master Kikuchi is friendly and his wife is always ready to explain the menu. We go once a month to sample the different omakase menu.

Authentic Japanese restaurant. Nice place for casual dining. Lost one star because the tuna and sea urchin quality is so so, and sushi rice can be better.

Amazing food! Incredibly fresh and tasteful dishes. We went for Omakase tasting option. It is highly recommended as you can get to taste full range of appetisers, sushi, sashimi, grilled fish and dessert. Service is very good. I loved the pace at which each dish arrived, not too fast not too slow, just at the right time. Staff is very polite and courteous. We will definitely be returning soon!

Small Japanese sushi restaurant for some authentic and fresh Japanese sushi. All staffs are Japanese which felt like I was in Japan. I really think this is great place if you want some real fresh sushi set meal. All the seafood were fresh and high end for sure. The rest of the omakase dishes weren’t that impressive like the grilled fish, chawanmushi and miso soup. Don’t think they specialise in these dishes. Overall this is a great Japanese restaurant for some lovely sushi 🍣 dishes!

We went to Kikuchi to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and we were not disappointed. We love sushi but wanted to raise the bar and have a real treat so booked the omakase. I’d read a number of reviews and really liked the authenticity of Kikuchi. We walked in and were immediately seated at one of the 16 seats. Make sure you book as we saw multiple people turned away. Throughout the evening, every course was incredible in presentation and flavour. The staff were attentive and helpfully explained each dish. There was nothing we didn’t enjoy. This was our first omakase experience but it certainly won’t be our last. If you’re looking for somewhere for a special occasion, book Kikuchi.

Good quality sushi in this local Japanese sushi joint. Everyone who worked there was Japanese and the food quality was very good. A few points which I found quite annoying: 1. There is a minimum spend per person. Now we were over the minimum spend but there was something awkward about having to spend a certain amount on food. The minimum spend of £55 each doesn’t include alcohol or drinks. 2. The rolls on the menu should be split into maki or any other variety of rolls. It wasn’t clear what kind of rolls were being sold. Service was very good and the experience was good overall but I think there are some areas of improvident 😊 🙏🏽

Undoubtedly one of the best places for sushi in London.

Wonderful flavours, top quality ingredients, the highest level of skill, lovely staff - what to want more!

It’s a proper Japanese sushi omakase place. Honestly the appetisers and sushi from omakase course are only decent. My favourite were Salmon roe gunkan and Mackerel and these were absolutely fabulous and exquisite. I was very impressed by these. I would definitely visit again but I would order selection of sushi and sashimi as my preference rather than ordering omakase.

Lovely little Japanese restaurant with fantastic omakase, very fresh and great selection of seafood. Highly recommended

Kikuchi offers an authentic experience where the focus is food, quality of it and the service. The restaurant doesn't have the ambience of other sushi places in London, but food is top notch. We had the omakase which at 100£ isn't cheap but it's worth it and at a good value if we compare other similar sushi restaurants. Note, no fried or generally thermally processed food on the menu ( ie no tempuras etc). However, doing the omakase gives you the opportunity to try the best offerings plus you get to see the chef work, and that's amazing Definitely recommend especially if you don't like pretentious places.

Kikuchi is always a treat when we go. We have been coming here since about 2016. The chefs are magicians when it comes to brilliant sushi, sashimi and marinades. This is still the best sushi place in London, even when compared to trendier spots around like Chisu or Zuma or exclusive spots with ££££ price tag. If you visited only years ago, note: Though the menu has been severely reduced and I will dearly miss their stellar tempura dishes, I appreciate the benefits of reducing menu in Covid times.

Lovely small place, super clean, friendly staff, very local. One of the best sushis I have ever had - and I've had quite a few. I ordered only raw food: I highly recommend the Sushi set, the very fatty tuna sashimi and the seaweed salad. Highly recommend to make reservations and I will come back every time I am in London!

Lovely place with great service & Sushi! Closest Sushi in London we had that is comparable to Japan! We went for the Omakase with bar counter seats, highly recommend!

Excellent food again. Consistency is what you can expect. Fish were fresh, made well, you will find it hard to fault. Food is traditional and may not suit those who are used to localised Japanese flavours.

Unadulterated high quality sushi that you might find in Ginza in Tokyo

First visit to Kikuchi: tucked away down Hanway Street in a salubrious looking building is this Japanese restaurant. It's quite small with a counter on one side where the two Sushi Chefs work and tables on the other. There's a good choice on offer but we went for the Omakase at £100 per head and the optional Sake Flight. It's a full Chef's tasting menu with Sashimi, Cold appetisers, Selection of grilled fish, Premium Sushi 10 pieces, Miso soup and a Dessert. It was all very good fare with nothing to complain about. The grilled fish was delicious and the extremely good selection of Premium Sushi just kept on coming; I particularly loved the Miso soup too. All in all the selection was very good but you don't go to a Japanese restaurant for the Desserts! I like Sake very much but the three glasses we were served were a little unadventurous and did very little to enhance the cuisine. Service was polite, professional and the dining room was full. Definitely worth a visit and a very reasonable £143 per head bill was good value for everything served.

Very very good restaurant real Japanese cuisine professional service team

Wasabi was not freshly grated even though chef said was fresh, but grated beforehand without further detail . Waitress claimed it was frozen at minus 200 degrees and imported from Japan. I did not believe chef or waitress and I asked the wasabi brand name and Googled it and found the retail price of a tube to be about 3 pounds. They claimed that they were fully booked at sushi counter , but there were plenty of empty seats - no wonder given food standard. Mackerel was sour and old and I could not eat it. Interior cramped , dirty and dated . Food overpriced.

This japanese place is very disappointing indeed. We had the Nigiri set which was a very mixed experience - some of the fish was quite fresh while the mackerel was rancid and horrible indeed. The prawn was fresh and the soup quite good but there was not a single piece of Nigiri that justified any of the reviews I read beforehand. On questioning on arrival I asked if they used fresh wasabi and they replied yes they did - I later challenged that statement and finally they admitted that the wasabi was frozen - you can buy the tube for about 3 pounds in the japan centre. Lying to guests is not nice and not acceptable. The service was friendly however you can get better nigiri at many other japanese restaurants for half the price. I think a takeaway of sushi from Marks/SPencer is almost just as good . Will never return - the premises are very dated and do not appear fresh or very clean.

It's hard to say anything bad about the food here, the sushi were good but I wouldn't say they blew my mind. The food was fresh but at £100 per head that we paid I imagine so it should be. When you look at who's behind the counter it's clear that these two men have had years and years of experience and know their sushi. However, the place totally lacks any atmosphere and looks like a greasy spoon cafe somewhere in South London. I think some lighting and better furniture would make A LOT of difference. At the moment it looks very lackluster and not in a restrained Japanese way of design which can look amazing. It just looks and feels dull.

Absolutely loved the dinner! Service is excellent. This is now my go-to place whenever I miss authentic Japanese cuisine. ありがとう❤️

It was not a nice experience when I went there last time. When we sat down, the first thing that greeted us was "oh we have a minimum spending of 50 per person" without even giving the menu to us first. Wouldn't it be much better to talk about it when we sat down, or when we opened the menu since it was written on the first page? or at least drop us a reminder perhaps after we finish ordering. but no. Straight up, first thing: minimum charge.. surely there is better ways to do that? Also had the black cod, but it was way overcooked and burnt. Sushi was very nice tho.

I have been to many Michelin starred sushi restaurants in Ginza and Hong Kong and I reckon this is one of the best. I am a customer of this restaurant for more than a decade.

I visited yesterday. I'm not sure if they were disappointed that two of the members of my group couldn't come but it was a bit disappointing. They give you the choice of still or sparkling, not mentioning that you can have tap instead. OK, that's fine, but you should have the option of avoiding bottled water. I don't really like sushi but the items from the menu are pretty boring. The yellow tail tuna was the highlight which comes with a brush for you to coat with soy sauce. Service was OK but unless you order the omakase you won't feel appreciated. I mean, I might have paid £100 but that doesn't include service or drinks. Would I go again? Only if I could sit at the sushi counter and not pay for bottle water.

Went today & was absolutely delicious & one of my favourite sushi restaurant in London (and i have very high standards when it comes to Sushi) Highly recommended for people looking for high quality, authentic & traditional umami of Japanese taste We've been here so many times and have been pleased every single time - to the point you don't want to have ant other sushi for at least a week as every thing else will be disappointing!

Lovely lovely place. Went there with my partner yesterday to celebrate his birthday. We had the omakase menu. Some of the most beautiful and delicate sushi I've had in a very long time. Included was also some wagyu beef, which is so delicate. The taste and texture were exquisite. We also ordered the sake tasting menu. Three very lovely sakes that went well with the food. Loved it. I highly recommend Kikuchi. I think it's pretty certain we shall return to enjoy their sushi. Sorry for the quality of my photos. They don't do the food justice.

Delicious sushi and sashimi. Great selection of sake. First class service. I highly recommend. For me the best Japanese restaurant in London

Best and favourite Japanese restaurant in London. Love it.

Excellent and authentic sushi experience, one of the best outside Japan!

日本の様なお寿司が食べたく、ロンドンでこちらのお店の評価が高そうだったので土曜日の夜に予約して訪問。開店後１番に到着しま したが全て予約席で埋まっており期待が高まります。 お寿司は中トロやぼたん海老などが値段は張りますが満足度の高い味で良かったですが、他のネタは日本の回転寿司レベルには届かないかなという印象でした。ぼたん海老は海老頭の味噌汁まで出していただけるのでオススメです。 その他のおつまみについてはどれも日本の味で安心していただけ、枝豆パリパリ揚げやスズキの梅香揚げはロンドンでは中々ありつけない一品だと思います。 小さいお子さん連れの方はベビーチェアは用意していただけなかったので事前にバギーを店内に持ち込めるか確認されたほうが良いかと思います。 因みにミニマムオーダー一人40ポンド制ですが、普通に食べるとこの金額は余裕で超えるので、少々お高いです。

Food we had was so fresh and excellent. Our sushi was prepared by the talented master.

Best Japanese cuisine in London so far. The price is in the middle range. They do offer omakase session but more recommend to try normal dining. The simpler the dish is, the better it tastes.

All the expense here goes into the food, which is no bad thing. Stay for the Grade-A sushi and sashimi, expertly prepared by the talented sushi master. Karaage chicken was great too. Would have liked a few more sake on the menu. Will definitely go back.

Wow, an experience! On pricey side but best sushi I've had in london.

Seafood we ordered was very fresh

Best Japanese food in the city (with prices to match!)

Really good Japanese restaurant. Authentic. The decor is simple but the fish is so fresh. Make sure to have a sashimi. Their fish is like butter in your mouth. The staff is really nice too.

Amazing service and beautiful food - taste and presentation

Very nice Japanese sushi restaurant. It's the real deal! The japanese staff is very friendly, food is fresh and delicious, and the place is cosy and nice. It's a bit pricey, but it is worth it. Well done!

Great food, very tasteful, looking to go back. It was a very good experience and the service was very friendly.

The food was good, service was fine but the tables are quite cramped. I would have also preferred my lighter dishes earlier than the big mains.

ロンドンなのに日本のような料理が食べられる。ホームシックになったらぜひここへ。

Perchè. Le basi sn cm quelle dei ristorante di londra.. attenzione.. hai detragli di freschezza giornaliera.. cibo saporito. A mé personalnente. Ouace tantissimo lebikatsù.. hmmmm....

Nice cosy restaurant, with a counter if you want to watch the action. Though the fare is great, it is definitely expensive.

ロンドンでこんなに新鮮な寿司が食べられるのは感動です。刺身、寿司とも美味しいです。

Excellent sushi, fresh fish and great service. The monkfish liver is delicious. I highly recommend it

My wife and I visited here while on Holiday in London and were extremely pleased with everything about the experience. We ordered the Omakase (set menu) at the counter and each of the courses (sashimi, tempura, grilled meat, sushi and soup) were exquisite quality. The sashimi and sushi were extremely fresh and some of the best we've had anywhere. The Omakase offered a nice variety and cadence to the meal and the portions were generous, making it a great value as well. The setting is very cozy and quiet, offering a nice setting for a date or time out with friends or work colleagues. Staff are very knowledgeable on the wide variety of sake offerings they have and I would highly recommend asking for their advice as we tried two truly amazing Sakes that perfectly complemented our meal. Service was top notch and overall we had an excellent, authentic Omakase experience.

If you want an actual authentic Japanese dining experience in London THIS IS THE PLACE. I haven’t had anything that is close enough to replicate how fresh the sashimi is in Japan. The fatty tuna here is unbelievable, and everything else we ordered was equally impressive and authentic. Service was very friendly, restaurant is casual but who cares, the quality here is perfect!

Dit is een klein restaurantje waar je Japanse koks sushi en sashimi ziet maken wanneer je een plekje aan de bar kan bekomen. Zowel sushi als sashimi gegeten met warme saké, zeer lekker !! Bij het binnenkomen wezen ze ons er op dat je voor minimum 40 Pounds moest eten per persoon, komt wel wat vreemd over maar de ervaring was zeker de moeite waard !!

Excellent Japanese food / sushi in casual setting. The sushi was on par with some of the one Michelin star sushi restaurants.

Sushi’s not bad but tempura is very oily - it’s just one of those dishes that shouldn’t go wrong.

Excellent sushi and soups, haven't tried other dishes. It's a tiny authentic Japanese restaurant with a passion and great ingredients, rather pricey. There's a £40 per person minimum order. We walked in but it seems safer to book in advance.

Food was amazing! On a expensive side, but quality fresh fish makes it worth your hardly earned money. Tuna melts in your mouth! I went fo sashimi platter and extra sashimi as it tasted good. Also had some sake, by the way they have plethora to choose from. Staff was helpful and very polite- courtesy of Japanese culture. Definitely a 5 star experience

Pedimos el menú fijo a 100 por cabeza con un poco de sake caliente. Muy abundante, el pescado era muy fresco y la presentación muy profesional. El sashimi de atún graso, el sushi de erizo de mar y el lenguado fueron particularmente agradables. Un poco de wasabi en el sashimi de langostinos y calamares. El servicio fue perfecto.

In a group of two, went in without any particular expectation, surprised by the minimum price but that soon got forgotten by the food and authentic service. We ordered classic tempura mix, sashimi mix set and buckwheat (cold) noodles, and all of those dishes were easily the top 3 of the top notch high quality Japanese I’ve (we’ve) ever had. The quality of preparation of Sashimi, and the sophisticated richness yet a simple clear-souped buckwheat noodles were did not cease to amaze us. Pleased and satisfied as we walked out.

Excellent meal with authentic Japanese food.

Authentic Japanese food with a great sense of hospitality

Best Japanese joint in London. Quality sashimi and great portions. I had the omakase which cost us a 100 quid and the amount of food that came with it was more than I could've asked for. I really enjoyed the food and diverse servings of sushi and sashimi.

Had the omakase and it was amazing! Definitely recommend sitting at the counter for the full experience watching the masterful sushi chefs at work.

One of my favourite Japanese restaurants in London. Consistent high quality food, attentive and friendly service and seasonal menu change to make things interesting. Keep up the good work!❤️

Very good sushi, not the best in the world but definitely up there for London. Underrated.

Food was excellent. Quality of fish was fresh and the sushi rice used for the sushi is fantastic. However, for the price I would have expected better presentation of the food. Service was a little slow as well. I had to go and ask for the menu and asked for bill 3 times before it arrived.

One of only restaurant which has true taste.