Nori in Kingston upon Thames

Where do I even start with this place. I had such high hopes after reading the reviews. If the alley way wasn’t enough to scare you off - please enjoy the never ending line of Deliveroo drivers as you enter the restaurant (first red flag) - having ordered our food - we then have to witness about 12 bags being packed, while we wait 20 mins before having to ask for a glass of water. Three skewers of Yakatori chicken arrive, tepid and seemingly have not been grilled. My beer arrives - about the only saving grace of this meal. Our mains arrive, both rice dishes which were incredibly disappointing. Lacking in flavour and oily. New Malden has fantastic restaurants - sadly this isn’t one of them.

Loved everything about it. Staff were very friendly and helpful, food was fantastic and priced very reasonably. Some of the best Sushi I've ever had

I find Japanese restaurants tricky to review. For most people that do not know Japanese food well and have not been to Japan this restaurant will be excellent. Good value, decent food. It is Korean owned and Korean run with the cooks from all over Asia, including some Japanese (they said). The atmosphere and decor are very good.

Personally enjoyed everything I ate! Fresh and authentic

I came here for some Japanese food and it was delicious. Nabe Udon = 10/10. Would definitely go again.

Came in for lunch and the food and service was great!!!

I was looking for a place to eat in New Malden when I came across this lovely Japanese restaurant and instantly, I fell in love with the atmosphere, the vibe and the food was amazing. I ordered the Unagidon which was very nice and delicious and I would recommend it for people to have. I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a good time and especially if you are looking for some top quality food.

Rice’s too wet, crab in sushi roll’s not fresh / a bit stinky, too much sauce Tempura’s not hot Chinese writing in wall decorations in a Japanese restaurant, strange Nori used to be a great Japanese restaurant in the last few times of my visits Hope it will be great again!

I can’t believe the minimum charge for the private room is £130!!!!! The policy is unfair and should be cancelled!😡

Great people with service and quality foods

The sushi and sashimi were huge! It was so good! The food was tasty and very fresh. Highly recommended.

This place had the potential to be great, but we went there for a birthday meal and got placed into the private dining area, which felt very "away" from the restaurant. In addition to this, there was nowhere for my 18-month old to sit, as the table is built into the bench, so we had to decide between him sitting away from the rest of us in a high chair, or having to have him on our laps. Granted, we wouldn't typically visit a sushi restaurant with our son, but on this occasion it was for a friend's birthday, so expected more to accommodate. The food was okay, but the service was awful with forgotten food & drinks, slow delivery to the table and having to ask for pretty much everything we ordered repeatedly. Also, the buzzer for service just further disconnected us from the restaurant. All in all, it was just an unenjoyable experience for a family visit and it seemed more suitable for a couple.

Been here twice. The price isn’t bad but the sushi fish quality is a bit low and less fresh than I hoped both times. The cooked food is better and at least the portion sizes are good. Service is okay but minimal as everything is ordered via QR code, but I don’t mind that.

I went with my husband as we’ve been to this restaurant when it was the previous owners. I ordered tendon and my husband has the sushi set. The tempura batter on my items was much too heavy. Tempura batter is suppose to be light and fluffy. Mine was not which spoiled the meal for me. And it wasn’t accompanied by the dip you should get with tempura. Not sure we will go back again.

I enjoy food there. But menu needs to be updated. I took my little boy to the restaurant for a lunch and he usually liked pumpkin croquettes, so ordered a sushi set which included croquettes. But croquettes did not come so asked the staff then she said they changed menu and if I want it I need to order it separately. The menu wasn't updated and the restaurant did not notify before they serve the food either, so I had to reorder croquettes separately but very unpleasant. It'd have been better if they notify in advance or update their menu properly. And the way the staff said was rather rude as if she was not bothered for having a wrong menu. I went to a restaurant with my child and ordered a sushi set with pumpkin croquettes, which I usually eat, but the croquettes did not come out. When I asked, they said the menu had changed. The changes were not applied to the actual menu, and they were not notified in advance when ordering the food. However, since the change was made only after receiving the food, they told me to order it separately if I wanted to eat the croquette. Even though it comes as a side, since it is a set, you order it after looking at the set. However, I was disappointed that the food was sold using the wrong menu and the staff seemed to take it as if it was normal. In the end, we ordered separately, but since the meal had already been completed and the food was received, the child did not eat it. If there is a change in food sales, please notify us in advance of the change, and it seems that the staff will need training to respond flexibly even if this part is not followed.

My wife (who is Japanese, favourite food is sushi, used to work in a sushi restaurant in Japan) and I (who lived many years in Japan) had been looking for good Japanese food in the London area, and came after a friend’s recommendation. We were a little concerned to have seen some 1* ratings on TripAdvisor, but we were left very confused as to what kind of experience they must have had as we had an extremely positive experience. We really enjoyed the sushi stairs set, as well as various sides that we tried (takoyaki, karaage - although it was more Korean style, miso soup, salads, and the pumpkin croquettes). The staff that attended us were professional and very accommodating. We will gladly return.

I’ve made a reservation in advance so got the seat when arrived. Tried the nigiri omakase which is great & fresh (it’s very high quality from my point of view) as shown in the picture. I’ve also ordered the tempura, it’s super niceee, crispy & the coating is light, not very oily. Highly recommended!

Delicious food and the staff are so helpful and sweet. Love it here :)

The servers were friendly and the cocktails here are lovely and a great price. The food was a little bit underwhelming.

Great place for a quick bite of Japanese. Order using smart phone and quick friendly service. Free 2 hr parking at the rear GF car park.

We have come to this restaurant for the third time. All the dishes are very appealing, and the staff is extremely polite. Considering London prices, it's quite affordable. Every time we come, we always make sure to order these two dishes. Highly recommend everyone to try.

Food quality is great in the standard of London. However no service at all. The staff is not helpful and they have their blunt face, seems like they don't want customer to stay

Good Japanese food restaurant in New Malden. Some food could not be available depending on supply.

We come here on a very regular basis. Best authentic Japanese food in SW London.

Food quality varied by dish, the menu is an app that we downloaded with a QR code at the table, which we assumed we ordered ourselves. Staff were nice but didn't ask us anything after we were seated, took their time between courses and seemed almost reluctant to clear our table. The building itself is gross and the toilets horrible but the restaurant itself is ok.

Nigiri Omakase, Soba (Seasonal food, Summer only) Nigeria- not bad. Soba - not tasty. The soba broth was too watery.

Great food and exciting menu! Lovely sushi and sashimi, great atmosphere.

the food is great!! will definitely come again.

I tried the omesaka lunch which is value for money. Recommend.

Don't be put off by the strange entrance. Food is excellent, as is the service. 10/10

I used to visit Nori few times a year about two years ago where the food were quite authentic and in good quality. Apparently, things go really downhill now. I ordered the same dishes that I usually do. The tempura was nothing like Japanese Tempura, the texture was so thick and it tasted like those fried food which you may get in the Chinese takeaway restaurants. The sashimi wasn’t fresh at all. Give me back the old Nori!

Absolutely lovely service and food provided, staff were lovely and so was the atmosphere of the place in general. Parking was quite hard to find due to it being situated on a high street, there is parking nearby- about a 5-10 min walk. Definitely coming back for another meal! 😄

I should have know how bad this restaurant is by the stairs leading to the restaurant. It was disgusting and dirty. The chef of this restaurant is definitely not japanese. We ordered the tempura and the batter was not light and crispy but rather ‘thick’ and heavy. Rather than a light sauce to go with the tempura, they smothered it with a thick sauce. The rice was soggy. How can one get the rice wrong in a Japanese restaurant? The bowl for the miso soup is some cheap plastic so when it’s hot, you can barely hold it in your hands to drink it. The service was terrible. They had several waitresses but who knows what they were doing. We never got our drinks and they never bother to check on us. We didn’t order the sushi but I’m glad we didn’t. We will never go back to this restaurant ever again. You can get your money’s worth somewhere else as it is not cheap.

Food was really good, authentic Japanese food. Service was excellent and fast, we had a big table of about 12 in the private area and had a few fussy eaters and they were able to accommodate. The sushi and maki tasted fine and dishes like yaki udon were on par with what I have tasted in Japan. Restaurant was busy and there was a queue outside so must be a good sign. I should also mention there was free parking at the rear of the restaurant and this place is well worth a visit if you like Japanese food and are anywhere nearby.

Food is great and the service from staff is excellent and price is very reasonable for the quality of food! It’s a cosy, clean restaurant which is great for an evening out. Definitely recommend the tempura tendon and Poke bowl.

I ate tendon, and it’s been a while since I’ve had Japanese food with a crunchy texture and saltiness! It's hard to find this crispy texture, but I had a very satisfying meal :) I think I will visit often in the future! I recommend Nori Tendon to those who want to try Tendon :)

Food: Some solid food all around. The tempura, the gyoza and the eggplant were a particular highlight but the karaage wasn't bad either. Although, we did feel that the sashimi platter really missed the mark for us. The fish itself was fine but we wish there was more variety of fish. Service: The wait staff were very diligent overall. Professional and courteous for the most part. Although the food does take a while to show up. Granted, we did have a large order but the chicken showing up when we've finished everything was a bit out of sync. Atmosphere: the interiors were well designed and the restaurant had a nice vibe to it and was clean and quiet. Overall, a decent experience.

Good dinner time. Place is quite nice, service can be a bit hit and miss. But delicious food every time I have been here.

A nice Japanese restaurant in New Malden, food in good quality with reasonable price. Service is good. A bit surprise the fried dumping from the set is cold. Poke seems a popular dish but many customers are asking soya sause, recommend the chef to include their signature sause to make it perfect.

The restaurant is a bit hidden, go through the Korean ice cream shop and take the lift to the 1st floor.

Excellent food and service. Set Lunch menu is excellent value for money. Very close to the station so very easy to get to

Love the food and as a result, have been here many times - Nori is our favourite Japanese restaurant to come to in the South London area. Food is brilliant as is the service. Particularly love the Aubergine dish, Tendon, Pumpkin Croquettes and the Salmon Teriyaki. Staff are super courteous as well. Highly recommend!

Great Japanese food and felt really authentic

Quality Japanese food with friendly staff

The food was great the service was quick and the waiters wasn't pushing us to leave and let us take our time. My only complaint was it was expensive.

Unbelievable. We ordered Poke—and this what we received. We got a box of salad. No fruit, no mango/pineapple; no seaweed; no crispy onions; literally, all iceberg lettuce with one piece of fish smaller than a chicken nugget. I’m flabbergasted. What fraud is this? Total unacceptable behavior.

The initial impression is terrible, the stairs going up have the dirtiest carpet I have ever seen in my life. When you enter there is not much of a greeting, just advice to scan to order. The sushi was ok but the actual dishes were awful, the tempura batter is thick and hard not light and fluffy, just covered in cloying sauces. The pork chop thin and dry with no juiciness. Won't be going back, also price was not cheap considering no investment made in environment or food quality.

We tried their Nori Udon(excellent), sashimi set ( only tuna was soso, all others are fine) and a Sapporo sushi set ( average) Overall Tuna, compare to those blue fin I had before, was just average. salmon was nice! Fatty enough and fresh Out of surprise the Udon was the best one. Very nice udon with perfect thickness with nice miso soup. They use real wasabi

A lovely quaint place. Lovely food, lovely staff and nice decor. Recommended.

Nori is a small cosy restaurant in New Malden. Serves authentic and delicious Japanese cuisine. The bf and I had a lovely meal and definitely would be back again. We got the Nori Stairways which is a set menu which consists of a selection of sushi, sashimi, croquettes, pickles, seaweed salad and cocktails. Also ordered grilled unagi and soft shell crab roll. Everything tasted very fresh and nice. We want to try the udon next time cause we saw a few people around us order it and says it was good.

Great food - both the sushi and the hot food is brilliant and there is a great selection of drinks. Staff super friendly.

- The food is delicious and not salty. Many restaurants in New Malden seem to be very salty and use a lot of MSG, so I drink a lot of water 1-2 hours after I finish eating. However, after eating udon and pork cutlet at Nori, I was satisfied because I didn't have any symptoms of thirst. - Noodles, including udon, and rice dishes, including pork cutlet, were delicious. - I went in on a cold day, but the warm tea (complimentary tea) served as soon as I sat down was very nice. - Ordering through QR code and app is very convenient. - The staff are also friendly. - If you are looking for a Japanese restaurant that suits Korean tastes, I recommend it. - There is a Waitrose nearby, and it offers free parking for 2 hours, so it's great for grocery shopping, lunch or dinner.

One of the best girlfriend days out of my life. Amazing sushi and a great dessert place right underneath

Great food at Nori - tasty and generous portion sizes for a decent price. Really enjoyed and will be back!

Amazing service and beautiful array of dishes. The most atmospheric restaurant I have been to in a while. Staff was very friendly and I felt very welcomed here. Food is outstanding at a fair price. Will definitely be returning :). Definitely reserve in advance as it seemed to get busy.

On 01/02/2023, I ordered 2 Nori Udons, 1 Yasai Tempura and 1 Karaage from Nori via Deliveroo (order number #9305) at around 9pm. I will attach a picture of my receipt and food to this review. Upon receiving my order, the Karaage was missing and the Nori Udon had no tofus, despite the fact that its menu on Deliveroo advertises the udon as including Aburaage (Japanese deep fried tofu pouches) in its udon. I have since requested a refund from Deliveroo. The food was also prepared sloppily and hastily without any effort, in addition to the missing Karaage and the absence of tofu in our udon dishes. If accepting orders one hour before closing is that much of a hassle to Nori that they could botch their customers’ orders, then they shouldn’t bother accepting anything. I will be spreading the word about Nori’s abysmal food and service to my foodie influencer friends in London with a high following and credibility and make sure that this place is boycotted and avoided at all costs through social media.

Ordered dinner via Deliveroo. They forgot our chicken karage and there was no tofu pouches in our nori udon (despite the description on their own website). Generally the soup was lacking in flavour and our remaining items were poor quality. Will not ordering from these guys again.

Appalling quality for the price. £19 for the Osaka set and it was clear they used the best fish for the sashimi, with lower quality for the nigiri and the rolls. The salmon in the rolls were inedible as they were the sinewy sides of the salmon. Upon sending photos, the restaurant refused a refund, stating they “use fresh fish, and the rolls are such a small part of the Osaka set.” That is not the point, there are parts of a salmon you should not be serving your customers. They offered to give me a discount and/or the rolls portion of the Osaka set only if I ever went back to the restaurant to eat, which I declined given the overall quality of the food. Very disappointing.

Appalling quality for the price. £19 for the Osaka set and it was clear they used the best fish for the sashimi, with lower quality for the nigiri and the rolls. The salmon in the rolls were inedible as they were the sinewy sides of the salmon. Upon sending photos, the restaurant refused a refund, stating they “use fresh fish, and the rolls are such a small part of the Osaka set.” That is not the point, there are parts of a salmon you should not be serving your customers. They offered to give me a discount and/or the rolls portion of the Osaka set only if I ever went back to the restaurant to eat, which I declined given the overall quality of the food. Very disappointing.

Food was good, drinks were expensive and the temperature of the place was too low.

Have been to here for several times, tastes still good but the rice bowl is getting smaller

Value for money! Lovely Japanese sushi and sashimi!

I feel like I shouldn't give this place such a high rating because I want to keep this place a secret xD The presentation of the food was pretty and tasted amazing.

Japanese food is one of my favourite cuisine

Great Japanese foods with friendly staffs. Overall, great atmosphere. Recommend to go and try out!

Try ordering crab ramen, which is not on the menu. It's awesome

Korean style Japanese restaurant. Lovely food and atmosphere in the New Malden High Street area. A bit pricey. Free parking is also available, which is convenient. If you want to enjoy Japanese food in this area, I can recommend this place. RATINGS Food : 4/5 Service. : 3/5 Value : 4/5 Atmosphere : 4/5

To find, go down the alley/driveway between shops and quickly turn left through the double doors. You go up the stairs and the restaurant is on the right (it's a building full of other units). The ordering process (app) made it so easy. The staff were friendly and we felt welcome.

Love the pork cutlet here, just wish they did cheese donkatsu.

The staff is friendly and the food is delicious

went for lunch with my bestfriend and their sushi was really good and authentic. will definitely come back again, thanks!!

A great choice for a Japanese restaurant!

Great food, atmosphere and service! The lunch menu is excellent value.

The food is very beautifully presented and the food is simply amazing in taste I give 5 stars for everything except the atmosphere The music is not at all compatible with the rest of the atmosphere. I highly recommend this restaurant!

I cannot recommend this restaurant enough, service was fast and the staff were lovely, the atmosphere in the restaurant was wonderful especially the music. Everything about the food was perfect wish I could give 100 stars!

Great value for lunch. Self service style of ordering with QR code menu on table. Quick service / food. Located inside building on 1st floor after you come in via garage drive way style entrance. Once you are inside, it is all good.

My previous review was for Mashi, a fusion place on the same site; why has it been retained for this replacement - a Japanese restaurant with a different name?! The interior does not seem to have changed much over the last decade although it has changed hands and names several times over the last 5 or 6 years. Almost full by 12.30pm weekday (and completely full before 1pm) but not a single Japanese seated or serving, which was a concern. A pot of green tea was plonked on the table as we sat down, which was welcoming. Chef specials included unagi don (grilled eel over rice) at £14 and sashimi omakase at £15. Set lunches were a reasonable £8-11, portions are generous and come with rice, miso soup, pickles and a shredded cabbage salad, as standard. Food quality is good and meals arrive quickly. Everything was quite good although not authentic (one of us lived in Japan for over a decade) but prices are about a third cheaper than at a genuine Japanese restaurant. 10% is added to the bill. If you don’t feel like Korean food but are in the area, this is a popular choice. It's hidden on the first floor (with lift), behind the Cake & Bingsoo cafe and in the same building.

Delicious, fast, and affordable!

High C/P value, will be even better if the cluster of rice of the Sushi could improve

Was excited to try out this place when we were at New Malden and went in with high expectations but it just wasn’t up to standard compared to other Japanese restaurant with similar price range. Was a little hard to find where the place was at first. Customer service was ok. Food was average but didn’t have much choices compared to what I saw from the online menu. Sadly not somewhere where I would visit again.

Good food, reasonable priced and items on menu are very special and unique. Loved my mushroom set.. yummy. Will go back for more definitely. Good service too.

This restaurant is well received by Asian. Went there several times. Very reasonable price for Japanese food. Although choices are limited, they have most of the popular fish sashimi but a pity that the O Toro was sold out on the date we visited. As a frequent client, my recommendation is, if your key clients are Asian (so far every time 90% were Asian as observed), try to be true to the Japanese recipes. For example, the egg in the Tendon was overcooked and the orange spicy mayo is not necessary. The Japanese use seasoned soy sauce instead of mayo for Tendon. Please also skip the lettuce in the Poke bowl. I understand Poke Bowl is an American dish, but as the rest ingredients are mainly raw fish, the favour of lettuce makes it like a salad rather than a Don and I could hardly taste the fish. It is not necessary to localise the dishes. Otherwise the local people can never appreciate the true beauty of Japanese cuisine. And that eventually push your real clients away too. There was a new male server when I visited last time. Have to make a note that his service was exceptional and that’s what a Japanese restaurant should have.

More sushi restaurants that can be really good and the food are all nice. The fact that you scan a QR code to order is pretty good and if you need assistance there is a call button and the sushi is REALLY good and it is amazing and especially the service.

Really friendly staff, authentic japanese food. Definitely will come again soon

Fresh sashimi with reasonable price. Great tempura too. Cozy, nice music, fast and prompt customer service! Highly recommended!

Poor attitude and service. Poor quality of fish. Not fair price. Not professional service standard. POOR Sushi rice. Overall, not up to the standard. Not recommended. Other Japanese restaurant with same price range better than them.

Oh my the food here was so good. Really tasty flavourful and reasonably priced. The service was also great. All.around a lovely experience.

Amazing food and service. Will definitely come back again.

Very friendly staff and quick service with great quality food.

Great sushi from a mom and pop shop! Thick salmon, thick avocado, fresh cucumber, modern service, pleasant, and a hidden gem! The only downside is finding the restaurant, but worth the extra minute. Caleb (AKA Josh) was fantastic to chat with as well.

The food here is 4 stars (considering what’s on the high street and the price point) but the waiter was so lovely and accommodating, it bumps it up to a 5. Thank you for your friendly service! :)

ome flavour combinations didn't work that great for our taste and the chicken in our udon noodles was quite bland and underseasoned, the noodles were great thoug. Other than that everything else was quite good overall. Service was fast and the prices are decent.

We had lunch at Nori, ordered three sushi set. It came only two set and one set was made after we finished two set. Staff are not smiling at all. My son has told me not to come again. Bad experience from high valued food.

I enjoyed the pork cutlet. However, the last time I went, the meat was thicker and I was very satisfied overall, but this time, the meat was thin and the batter was a bit flaky... and the salad sauce was a little sour? The cabbage was cut a little less, so it was difficult to eat. There was an additional service charge that wasn't there before, which made me slightly less satisfied. The price of lunch pork cutlet also went up from 10 pounds to 12 pounds, but I think there was some variation today. Still, I plan to visit again because I hope it will be better next time!

Delicious Japanese food. Amazing flavour and combinations. Cooked to perfection. Friendly staff. It is pricey for new malden, but worth the treat. They do set meals and also sushi.

Little hidden gem of New Malden. Staff are very helpful and kind. Being vegetarians, it was lovely to find Japanese cuisine with good options for veg food a stone's throw away from New Malden station.

Friendly staffs and fast service. Only thing is finding the entrance is quite tricky… my advice is go thru the Bingsoo cafe to the end and you’ll see a lift and the staircase leading to 1st floor to the restaurant.

Staff were great, food was outstanding. Bit odd to find as it’s on the first floor of the building, but highly recommended.

We were very excited to try out the place and went in with high expectations only to be disappointed. The gyudon was delicious but the Mushroom Mori was a tiny portion cooked in the very same miso seasoning as the Nasu Denkaku. That was not as upsetting as the service; when being served the waitresses spilled miso on my phone by accident (and this was not even acknowledged or apologized for), dropped cutlery, ignored us for a while before addressing us when we wanted to ask for the food to be heated (we got cold plates), we had to ask for water and soy sauce. In the end we asked clearly and politely to have the check split in half and I know this is a bit more work but they operate with computerized POS systems that allow the servers to place items on separate bills fairly easily. Still, the waitress seemed confused and was about to charge us each the full amount (doubling our total bill). Overall, they seemed a bit insecure and untrained for the job but the place is cozy and has lovely atmosphere, hopefully the staff will improve.

In my view Nori is the best restaurant in New Malden. It's secluded and unassuming, but the owner is passionate about the quality of the food and experience. It's clean, and has a great local atmosphere. Meals are always well presented and vary with each visit with fresh and interesting side dishes. Food is delicious. Highly recommended.