Matsuba in Richmond upon Thames

We were there last week for lunch. As we waited for our food to arrive. We’ve heard loud yelling from the kitchen that sounded like someone lost a temper and throwing a huge tantrum. The only server on the floor acted like nothing was happening or that’s just usual occurrence. It made us super uncomfortable. Our food arrived. I had a sushi bowl. But the rice was waaaay undercooked. I have told the server about the rice but she acted like my claim wasn’t the first one and told me that she will tell the chef. My overall experience was not good at all. I will never go back there. We are expecting a brand new Japanese restaurant in Richmond. Matsuba needs to improve in order for them to survive in Richmond. Very disappointed!

Extremely poor service. The restaurant sat us right next to the door with delivery drivers coming in literally every 5 seconds. The servers never came to ask for water or take the order. We were sat there 20 minutes before deciding to leave and even then the staff did not notice. Very rude.

The worst sushi we’ve ever had. Makes itsu look decent. Avoid avoid avoid

Went here for a birthday and chose the tasting menu. After an hour and a half we had hardly been served any food so left, but watched as streams of deliveroo drivers came in and picked up their delivers. Clearly, no regard for restaurant customers. Matsuba should just be a takeaway restaurant. Avoid!!!!

Matsuba Restaurant in Richmond truly exceeded my expectations! From the moment I walked in, the service was impeccable. The staff was attentive and friendly, making me feel right at home. As for the food, every dish was a culinary delight, bursting with flavor and expertly prepared. The ambiance added to the overall experience, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere. I highly recommend Matsuba to anyone looking for an exceptional dining experience in Richmond.

Great sushi and atmosphere. Lovely staff too!

One of the worst Japanese meals ever. The food had no favours and lacked seasoning had to ask for some salt. Tables packed so close to the next that you feel you are sitting with the next diner.

The best Japanese restaurant in Richmond. I recently had a fantastic experience dining at Matsuba.The attention to detail in each dish was remarkable, showcasing the chef's skill and dedication. The flavors were a symphony of delight, and the presentation was like art on a plate. The ambiance added to the overall experience, creating a perfect blend of authenticity and comfort. Highly recommended for anyone craving an exquisite Japanese culinary journey. PS Must try Flora blooming tea!

Cosy, warm, exquisite food and attention to detail paired with great service!

Food is good, enjoyed the Suzuki aburi and stonepot beef. They should put more beef in main course though. Maybe can give slightly bigger portions as well for aburi. Food was good but I was still bit hungry after.

Absolutely great! The food is amazing, everything from sashimi to sushi is so fresh and you can taste the ingredients are just high quality. The stonepot is amazing as well, and I think they get options for Vegan as well (the tofu stonepot). I am not Vegan but I have ordered it again and again. Staff are all friendly and the whole atmosphere is quite welcoming. It’s definitely a restaurant that I will come as often as I am able to.

Best Asian restaurant in Richmond! I eat here every week because the food is soooo delicious. Highly recommend : Softshell crab, beef BBQ, stone pot bimbimbap, and definitely sushi and sashimis. The quality of the fishs is totally worth. (please try the salmon Aburi sushi)

I have been going for years now and the food never fails to amaze me. The chef and Su-chef are incredibly talented and amazing at what they do! I love the food, staff, service and drinks!! I love Matsuba!

Nice atmosphere, warm and very good food. The only. The tables are a little close together but if there are not many people it is very good :)

What a fantastic experience - food was absolutely lovely and beautifully presented; super friendly, helpful staff who helped to make a birthday celebration a truly fabulous night!! We will definitely be back!!!

Me and my family came here for my 20th birthday. The team at Matsuba were so welcoming and made the evening really special. I will definitely be coming back for some tasty Japanese food!!

Top restaurant; excellent food quality and superb service, Japanese hospitality. Very pleased by the sushi and the rest of the menu. Fair price

Excellent sushi 🍣, the fish is super fresh. The restaurant has a great atmosphere and the staff is super nice. There are several sushi sets, but also bento boxes. Really recommended.

Been to Matsuba several times and always impressed. Last night brought two family members who never had Japanese food - and everyone loved the starters, mains and floral tea (a show in itself!)

What a first class restaurant! Had such an enjoyable meal here for a friends birthday. The sushi and sashimi was of some of the highest quality we've had and my wife had the black cod which was also superb. Service really great and ambiance stylish and welcoming. Will defo be back - often!

Delicious sushi and so friendly service ❤️

I cannot recommend this place enough. It's perfect for a romantic dinner, a casual meal with friends, or even a solo indulgence. Make sure to book a table in advance, as this place tends to get busy – and for all the right reasons! It was truly an unforgettable dining experience. I'll definitely be coming back for more. Five stars all the way!

Excellent little sushi restaurant. Small, quaint inside space, but tasty food.

Tasty fresh sushi. A nice little spot if you’re seeking a good meal in Richmond.

Excellent ambient and food. The waitress were really nice

The susi was great and wonderful, the appetiser were amazing and well managed. My most favourite was Dynamite Roll which is a spicy roll, and great for me.

This is one of those places that really disappointed me. Because the food was very good, the place was nice, but the service was appalling. There were three people serving: an older lady, a young-ish man, and a young-ish woman. The latter was the only one who knew what they were doing. We had to wait half an hour before we caught someone's attention and they took our drinks order. Then they brought the wrong drinks (we got up and returned them ourselves to them when we, once again, couldn't get their attention). Then when we ordered a Nami (yellowfin tuna, tuna, and salmon - 3 pieces each); they came back and told us that they had run out of yellowfin tuna and would we like more salmon. We asked for more 'regular' tuna instead. They said they'd have to charge us more because that's more expensive. We were gobsmacked - and so were the people at the table next to ours who had witnessed the whole thing. So while the food was nice, I wouldn't go back in a million years.

Best Japanese restaurant in Richmond Very nice restaurant Very warm welcome All was very good, delicious

We came to Matsuba on a busy Saturday night. Despite we had to wait for 30 minutes, we had a wonderful meal and time. Staff were really nice. We believe it was the best sushi meal we’ve ever had. The texture and taste of raw sushi fish of all kinds are remarkable in comparison to all other sushi restaurants and takeaways. We will definitely return.

Matsuba is superb. It is a second to none restaurant with five stars all around! I would definitely recommend this and this is my new fav restaurant! Amazing service and delicious food!

Came out to a meal after an evening at the Botanic Gardens at Kew on a cold night. Food was probably around mid tier, and I say this with pricing in mind, the sushi sets appeared to be quite inflated in prices and higher than I expected. Service was good and I do admit that the restaurant appeared to be trying considering it was only us in the restaurant but again, menu might need a bit of rethinking from a price point perspective, if prices were lower I think the rating overall would stack higher. Good attempt but could do a lot better with potential.

We dined here 3 times during a recent trip to Richmond. The salmon sashimi lunch was especially tasting. Good size portion. The restaurant is clean and well lit. It is a block away from the main street in Richmond.

15 years of WONDERFUL meals! Great Refurb! Friendly Efficient Service! I have been bringing friends, family & folks from work here for over 15 years and have NEVER been let down. The food is best Japanese for many miles around. The service is friendly, swift and accurate, which I appreciate. Our family have been lucky enough to go to high-end Japanese restos all around London & the world, but still we chorus “Nobody’s Miso Beats Matsuba’s!” – and that is just the miso! Occasionally of course they have to train new staff (altho some we have seen all 15 years!) and of course that can slow things a little, but as a regular I certainly don’t recognise neg comments about waiters elsewhere here. And this is a genuine jem of family-owned and operated resto; so you’re freed of ‘chain atmosphere’ and able to enjoy the real thing! The refurb during lockdown was perfectly timed and executed, a great step up. Went today, a rugby day hereabouts, and it was great to see it packed, see pic, yet still all our dishes came quickly. Plan to keep going for another 15 years!

Lovely decor, friendly and attentive service (on a busy Friday evening), a nice vibe and tasty food. What’s not to like. We enjoyed the matusba salad - nothing special about the salad ingredients but the dressing is incredible. Tuna steak main delicious as was the seafood udon noodle dish. Well done team.

Lovely decor, friendly and attentive service (on a busy Friday evening), a nice vibe and tasty food. What’s not to like. We enjoyed the matusba salad - nothing special about the salad ingredients but the dressing is incredible. Tuna steak main delicious as was the seafood udon noodle dish. Well done team.

We always come back here for a nice sushi, also order on Deliveroo. Food is always super fresh, delicious. Highly recommend

Fantastic food,service and atmosphere!

Every time I remember our dinner there, there's a smile on my face. Everything we ordered was delicious. Can't wait for another excuse to go back. They seemed to be understaffed yet the lady serving us was very efficient, so it was a great experience.

By gum is this place overpriced! The tuna did not taste fresh and the sushi was average accompanied by the fact that the portions are small the exorbitant price tag is a mystery. The ceviche was poor and under marinated. Definitely won’t re-order.

Not very good food, some pre cooked and very expensive for what it is

Great service, good food, friendly servers. Defo recommend for japanese cuisines

Owner was very nice and their 15-course meal was filling and very nice! The atmosphere was very fitting and the ambient music made my time there. Mochi dessert was so chewy and nice and the green tea ice-cream that was home-made by the chef was amazing- I normally don't like green tea but it tasted brilliant! Recommend to anyone who loves seafood, Korean and Japanese cuisine😊

We had a 6pm booking and service started approximately 6:25. Our server was very nice, professional and quick after a delayed start. The food was very good, and we enjoyed both the food and service. After a very nice meal with a variety of starters, sushi, maki, we were ready to consider dessert. At 7:30pm, a different server came to our table and told us that we had to leave because they had another booking for our table. This was after they had just seated another party of 4 without a booking at the table next to ours. The server was extremely rude and unprofessional. There was no notice about a 90 minute time period prior. After spending £227 on our bill we were made to feel unwelcome and were hurried out the door. Even though the food was good, and we live locally in Richmond, we will never return after this experience. As a family of four people, to be told to leave technically after an hour of service is absurd. They will not be successful if the unprofessional service and attitude continues. Really unfortunate and bad experience.

Lacked atmosphere and staff had no personality. Tiny portions so no stars for value. Owner ignored request for drinks and had to ask 3 times. One main course came eaten and still could not attract attention of staff to find out where other mains was. Then rush to leave by being presented with bill before ready. The worse eating experience

Unfortunately we were quite disappointed with our meal at matsuba. My partner and I had been meaning to go for a while and visited on a Saturday. The atmosphere was nice and the staff were pleasant. Unfortunately the good lacked much flavour, it felt extremely overpriced and generally was a disappointment.

After being regular visitors to Matsuba for over 10 years, this was our first meal since their refurbishment. The food was very good (gyoza, tempura prawns, sashimi and a special roll) and the service was pleasant and efficient. The ambience has changed, overall for the better, but the lighting is a little brighter and the noise levels a little higher than before.

Cooked better in my kitchen for a cod worth £2.50 with more flavour than here wouldn’t recommend on my birthday. £30!!!!

Simply one of the greatest places to eat in Richmond/London, the black cod is a stand out dish. Well worth every penny!

Having had chicken it was of poor quality to the point it was not edible & having been told it was chicken thigh meet ? Poor service .Poor Food . Avoid this place .

Amazing family run restaurant, amazing food and lovely people

Delicious food in a family run restaurant. Great night!

Charming hosts and delicious food. Save room for a dessert!

The food was delicious and the service great! Highly recommend.

It was such a joy to eat here. The tasting menu seemed like extremely good value. Every one of the 14 courses was memorable and tasty. The staff very very welcoming, attentive and took good care of us. The black cod was genuinely one of the best things I've tasted. Thank you for a lovely evening.

Delicious! Good price and fresh ingredients. Service also spot on. I’m aiming to go back every month! 😊

Good Japanese food, food good service

One of the best restaurants while in London. Every dish was just amazing and people are so kind :-) It was so delicious, and all the staff were friendly!

"Best sushi in town" can't agree more! Good taste good service good people!

Fantastic food tasted absolutely amazing, very fresh and extremely tasty dishes! Presentation was spot on & the service was awesome. Highly recommended

Overpriced , poor service and food rather mediocre.

Tasting menu was unbelievable and good value at £65, good service and atmosphere. Visited for birthday treat, will be coming back.

We came here for lunch and was blown away by the whole experience. Normally you have to give advanced notice for the taster menu but they accommodated our request even though we didnt book in advance. We were told the taster menu experience will usually take around 1hr 30minutes but if we ok with it they will service the dishes a bit quicker as they were closing in 40minutes. We said we didnt mind as we were hungry anyway! The taster menu was fantastic, had a good variation of dishes to try, everything was fresh and with a melt in your mouth experience, we loved all of them! The service was exceptional too, we ran way past their closing time but they still provided a fantastic service from beginning to end. We felt bad that we overstayed and apologised to the waitress and owner but they just made us feel very welcomed and accomodating. I highly recommend this place!

My wife wanted to have sushi for our 7 years wedding anniversary so we came here for lunch and was blown away by the whole experience. Normally you have to give advanced notice for the taster menu but they accommodated our request even though we didnt book in advance. We were told the taster menu experience will usually take around 1hr 30minutes but if we ok with it they will service the dishes a bit quicker as they were closing in 40minutes. We said we didnt mind as we were hungry anyway! The taster menu was fantastic, had a good variation of dishes to try, everything was fresh and We loved all of them! The service was exceptional too, we ran way past their closing time but they still provided a fantastic service from beginning to end. We felt bad that we overstayed and apologised to the waitress and owner but they just made us feel very welcomed and accomodating.

The food is great, everything is fresh and made to order. The staff are helpful and attentive. The wine list is short but covers all requirements. If you want proper sushi this is the place to go.

This was one of the best tasting menus I have ever experienced, the staff were so attentive and the food was incredible. The cod was one of the best things I have ever tried in my life, I could not stop raving about it!

Amazing Japanese, delicious dishes, a little gem

Just been to the place , great atmosphere, amazing food very fresh and quickly prepared

Amazing place! Freshest sashimi and best agedashi tofu I’ve tasted. Definitely on par with Nobu. My husband’s seared tuna was also epic. Highly recommend!

Ate from the tasting menu and regardless of the price tag (a reasonable £65), the menu was hugely varied and delicious. Multiple dishes were the best I’ve tried of their kind, be it scallops or sashimi. If you have the chance please check this venue out and explore the menu as much as possible, you will not be disappointed!

Very nice service and good lunch

exceptional sushi and very good service. dont listen to any of the negative reviews on this place, its on par with the likes of nobu or zuma.

I didn't know yet...was on different reason

This is a great place. From start to finish it was incredible. Sashimi was one of the best I have had. Kept being treated to dishes I would never think of ordering. Between 4 of us, decent amount of sashimi and about 5 servings of different sushi dishes plus wine came to about £50 each. 100% worth it. Also, they fitted us in when they should of been closing up so they get full marks. I'm going back, for sure.

Excellent authentic Japanese food with great service.

Service was great and all the food i had ordered was delicious. Definitely recommend.

Excellent takeaway, similar to eat in, without the nice service. We had a big plate of sushi and some sides, great sushi and veggie options.A shame we can’t eat there but this was a great option instead.Recommend this, but pick up yourself as this helps with timings and carriage of this delicate food.

Absolutely shocking £70 of food delivered, miso soup lid not secured spilled inside a paper bag and when the bag was passed over the food inside the bag just spilt on the floor as the paper bag was soaking wet, after calling them they basically told me it’s not there problem. Wasted £70 pounds after being a customer for over 10 years. I will never use them again after there disgusting attitude.

Lovely small restaurant. The food is fantastic and great and friendly service! You can also order takeout- which we will certainly do during lockdown.

Delicious lunchtime bento box, excellent service and on top of everything as fast as covid is concerned.

Very slow restaurant not enough staff . Every time I come long wait

Excellent food and service, this place should really be rated higher in my view, very impressed. The bibimbap was the best I have tried and the sushi was very good too.

Excellent Japanese place such a little Richmond gem owner is lovely staff attentive and food was excellent. Nice classy atmosphere.

Having eaten in this restaurant before with good quality we were excited to order from Deliveroo and to have quality sushi at home! It’s was terrible all the tuna was chewy and inedible and the beef likewise - rolls were soggy and the fish just average - at 80 pounds one if the worse sushi meals ever! Fish quality would have been better from a low end supermarket - called you complain and not even an apology

Japanese cuisine is my one of my favourites. The staff at Matsuba were very helpful in responding to my queries. Recommended.

Excellent fried chicken & rice, crunchy and made with succulent chicken thigh, and a little salad with Japanese-style salad dressing on top. The right amount for the right price! I’ve also dined in before and all the food I’ve had so far (from sashimi to hot dishes) is great.

A very dear friend was celebrating her 40th birthday and loves this restaurant. We thought we would surprise her with a take away order from this favourite restaurant. Kieran and his family could not have done more to make this order perfect. The food was beautifully presented and delicious. Thanks you for making Kelly's day very special!

Our dear friend Kelly was celebrating her 40th during lock down. Kieran and his family pulled out all the stops to make an incredible meal to take away. The presentation was incredible and the food, as always, delicious! Thanks!!

I love this restaurant! Delightful menu of Korean and Japanese authentic food. Can't wait to go back.

Service was excellent (!) and food not bad either (some of the fishes in taste were blend a bit though). Overall experience for an almost newby was very good and the atmosphere of the restaurant is cozy.

The rice is too hard and the Raman is too soft

This is a lovely little restaurant. You can see why it is well attended. Everything is fresh and on-point. This could be my second favourite Japanese restaurant in the borough! Good food, great service, but a little expensive.

This recently refurbished restaurant is a great neighbourhood Japanese restaurant. Great mix of choices from bowls,noodles to tempura and sushi. A real favourite in Richmond. Very good service too. Not slow as some below have said, in my experience. Well worth a try.

Came here for lunch today with my family. Everything was absolutely delicious. We started with the vegetable gyoza, soft shell crab and spicy edamame. Then we had the special bento box, black cod and spicy noodle soup. The fish melted in my mouth- it tasted so fresh. Lovely ambience and friendly service. Highly recommend anytime in Richmond.

I ate here upon recommendation of a friend. We were in a group of four. Service was friendly and sincere, though our initial request for a booth table was not fulfilled. Fortunately, we were able to move there later during the evening. Without doubt I would say go into a booth area as the floor space is tight throughout and it overall suffers from less disturbance.Food choices were very good, but truthfully, I think you can do much better. Whilst the Japanese listings were in abundance, the flavours were lacking. Teriyaki chicken was a poor attempt. Tempura was good but yakitori let it down again. Even an establishment like the Waggamamma chain does a better job in my opinion, and for half the price. Sorry to give a comparison like this but based on something as simple as even gyoza, these were my findings.It was very clean inside, extremely minimalistic but pleasantly styled and bathrooms were immaculate.Would I be in a hurry to return here? Quite simply no, I believe there is better out thereWith a more authentic approach.

Very good sushi, and a nice atmosphere. The service is more homely than restaurant but overall it’s adds to the experience. It’s actually reasonably priced for Richmond, you could get slicker service at Sushi Samba for twice the money. It’s a great local place and worth a visit

Just returned to Matsuba after their refurb. I've been visiting on and off for at least 10 years though for most of that time I opted for the cheaper and better service option of Maki (now closed). Returned tonight in a hopeful vein but should have trusted my instincts and left early (another family did). Service was slow/incompetent, comprising only one (new/ inexperienced) guy plus mama-san (the owner I believe). Total meal time circa 2.5hrs and a bill (for one person let me remind you) of £180 ... previous high score was £125 over a year ago. Ok, so I was presented with a complimentary stir fried noodle mixed seafood dish towards the end, but I'd rather have had the food I did order arrive in a more timely manner (plus it wasn't minimal carbs as per my aim). Had to chase regularly for most of what I ordered and generally found myself looking frustratedly for staff at regularly intervals. I won't be going back, I feel I've given the owners too many chances to get things right. I've attached a photo of my bill as validation. Nothing about it makes cheery reading

Absolutely loved the place. The food was excellent so fresh, authentic and the service was outstanding. They cared us like family. It was worth waiting for 3 months refurbishment. The ambience of the place can't be beat, looks trendy and sleek. A REAL GEM! Highly recommend ‘Seasonal Tasting Meal’ to experience real Matsuba! New wine selection was fab too!

The has been a firm favourite of ours for many years - recently refurbished the restaurant looks great and the quality of sashimi and sushi remains as excellent as ever - best in south west london

Found this place online while out in Richmond and took a punt and walked over. Quiet spot; only a couple of covers in there on a Wed in December, but doing a huge party takeaway order at the same time which seemed to be stressing people in the kitchen out.Friendly couple front of house, who were attentive and let us dilly dally over what we wanted to eat and drink, but once the food arrived, it just got better and better. Tempura was so light and fluffy, sashimi was gorgeous but the special roll was unreal. Would def go back. Bet a lunch there would be a treat, too. Not cheap but worth it. Great find.

Unfortunately today I had the worst experience ever at this restaurant. After waiting at least 20 min after all my table already has been served (I think they just forgot to prepare my order) I got all the chicken in my Yakisoba raw, undercooked because they've rushed to get my dish done. Probably I will never going back to this place.