Sakanatei in City of London, Westminster

UPDATE: We became regulars here until 2020 and were very sad indeed to dscover that it has closed its doors. A real loss to anyone who enjoys first quality Japanese food! This is one of the best Japanese restaurants in London but it is so authentic that you need a guide. The sushi is good, the usual menu items are very good but if you really want to eat well you need to choose from the blackboard with the day's dishes chalked up in Japanese. Marinated squid guts and tuna cheek are delicious and so genuine: you could be in a very good local restaurant in Japan. These kind of dishes are not found in most London Japanese restaurants and this is why Sakana Tei is special. Grab a Japanese or literate Chinese friend and treat them in return for choosing the delicious surprises you would normally miss!

This is one of the best Japanese restaurants in London. Whenever I am in the vicinity, I never pass up the chance to visit. Amazing.

ロンドンでここまで新鮮な海鮮が食べられると思っていなかったのでいい意味で裏切られました。特に旬のバフンウニが日本酒に合って最高でした。

A small, authentic sushi restaurant - great fresh food. Highly recommend.

Superb food, a great find tucked away off Regent Street. Worth paying, we shall return for the set menu which looks good value.

Visito regularmente Sakanatei, ya sea almuerzo con amigos o por negocios. El staff es muy amigable. No se desanime por el aspecto sencillo, toda la experiencia será excelente.Tiendo a ir por el Chirashi, que es increíble, con toda honestidad, no te puedes equivocar ya que la calidad y el sabor son excelentes.

Perfect place for true sushi/sashimi lovers. The food is the star as it should be. Fresh fish perfectly sliced and right balance of flavor. This is an authentic sushi experience, not like other restaurants that add sauces to cater to the wider palate. probably the best place for sushi in London. Do not focus on the ambience or decor (it’s plain) this place is purely for the food experience. Priced very well given the location. Warm staff, chef and owner. Will definitely be back for more.

To be fair the owner did remind us there’s gonna be a wait for sushi “since the kitchen is busy”, but we didn’t expect to wait for an hour and a half for all our food to come, nor would anyone else. Was very hard to get any staff members attention. We waited for our food till nearly 10 pm and my lovely bf came to pick me up, so I invited him down to wait for us to finish. The staff quickly brought a chair (which is nice) but after my bf indicated that he’s not going to eat, the staff member reminded me that he has to order something. To me it’s bizarre, having to wait way too long for food and he’s merely here to pick me up from dinner, now you want me to pay more? Hell no. Thank god after semi arguing with the staff member they didn’t insist on making us order more. Now food review: Monkfish liver: very nice, wowed me, would recommend. Wasabi giant clam: fishy and too pungent (had to wait for solid 40 min) Omakase sushi set: good eel nigiri, fishy toro, did accommodate my request (in terms of not including the things I don’t like), price wasn’t transparent. Tempura: not the best. In all, wouldn’t go again, especially not after a long day of work and being treated borderline rude

Would rate 0 star if possible. Here’s why: The service is nonexistence. We came 7.30 and seated for 20mins to be served. Then waited for 20mins for the first cold appetiser. Then an hour for the second. After waiting for another 30 mins we are told that there’s only one chef doing sushi, sashimi and appetiser. Fine, we wait. We ordered assorted sushi for two, and the quality of the fish does not indicate its price. The scallop and otoro are really fishy; the uni is utterly bitter. The price is also not transparent. 61 pp for 4 just for 2 cold appetisers, 1 assorted tempura and an assorted sushi set? Eattokyo is 100 times better than this place.

とても美味しくて、魚も新鮮なんだけど、やっぱり和食は￡お高いです☺️

I mean, look. You get what you pay for. And sakana-tei is beautiful. Lunch menu is what I had. 30 of your human £. Very pleasing. House white is great. Service is exceptional. But. It's also total dive. You're not fine dining. You're *good* dining.

He estado allí varias veces, las encuentro algo vagas y, a veces, olvidadizas.Esta vez, deliberadamente me hizo esperar 1 hora, sabiendo que estaba en mi hora de almuerzo. La planta baja es un lugar pequeño, no podían pasarme por alto. Finalmente, tuve que pedirles que lo empaquetaran y me lo dieron sin una sola disculpa.Nunca volver.

The staffs are discriminated against Asian who is not Japanese. This restaurant shows really bad attitude of treating the customers. I’m not that satisfied with the food as well as service. I just order some hot foods and sushi (salmon, not fresh otoro) it was cost me 110£. This is unacceptable. If you not believe in my comment I suggested you to try once. I wish they will improve the quality and services.

Un verdadero restaurante familiar japonés en Londres. Los nigiri eran muy frescos y perfectamente preparados. También pedimos el buta niku (panza de cerdo) que era muy agradable. La decoración interior no es emocionante, se ve un poco vieja pero la comida es buena y es agradable.

my favorite Japanese restaurant in London! Better than Taro in Soho. The sushi is no less than what I had in Japan...definitely would recommend people to visit.

Es cierto que el servicio puede ser un poco caótico, dependiendo de si llegas a una hora muy ocupada. Sin embargo, si no eres demasiado valioso al respecto, vale la pena, dado que este es, en mi opinión, uno de los mejores sushi de calidad que se pueden encontrar en Londres, en un entorno sin pretensiones y de la vieja escuela.

日本食が懐かしくなり、ピカデリー、リージェント等でショッピングをした後必ず立ち寄ってます。案内されるのはいつも下の階です日本の居酒屋さんに置いてある料理がロンドンでも食べられるのでとてもありがたいです。値段は日本と比べて高めですが、1ポンド100円と考えて納得してます。

Vinimos aquí para celebrar mi cumpleaños como un amigo lo recomiendo para ser un gran lugar para sushi. Nos sentamos en el sótano y esperamos más de 30 minutos para la comida. La comida estaba bien, pero ¡qué servicio terrible cuando nos íbamos! El propietario estaba molesto con nosotros porque no estábamos pagando más rápido (factura de alrededor de libras), y estaba tan malhumorado y no quería mostrarnos cuánto nos está cobrando en una máquina de tarjetas.¡La comida no lo es todo, y seguro que no quieres que te traten de esa manera en tu cumpleaños!

I thought being treated rude is personal. But after I read the reviews, I found out a lot of people have been treated that way and mainly Asia except for Japanese people (that’s also in line with what I have observed). People working there are so rude. I shouldn’t be polite to them and I should have been rude back! Overpriced food. Fish is not fresh and the udon is so salty. I will never come back for sure and I strongly advise other Asia don’t go there either to get insult. 不要来这家吃，对中国人非常不友好，垃圾店长

The sushi I had were a little bit warm and I got diahera aftweward. Bad luck. The service was good, so I will order cooked food if I go again.

The food was authentic and fairly good but they have the most unwelcoming and unfriendly staffs. Where has Japanese “omotenashi” spirit gone? In addition to that, it took ages for them to serve very simple dish. I will never use it again.

The place has been there for 20+ years. One of the best in London (possibly beyond) that I’ve been to. For those who know.

新鮮な寿司ネタや刺身が楽しめる。居酒屋さん。メニュー豊富で駐在員にとっては目移りしてしまう。値段は高いが、有難い。

Nice menu, helpful if you have a Japanese friend with you. Nice drinks menu. Execution is mediocre.

Dinner at Sakana-Tei was disappointing. Service was painfully slow. The staff member was reluctant to translate the specials on the board. She said "it depends on what you want". They served an appetiser which we didn't order but were still charged for. While it was mentioned in fine print on the menu the staff should have made it clear and given us an option. Confusingly, we overheard the staff member tell the adjacent table that they will not be charged for the appetiser. The food itself was not bad but I wouldn't call it the best sushi/sashimi in London. The gentleman who took our card for the payment walked away with the card in the machine. After a few minutes we realised we were supposed to follow him upstairs. I get the impression our experience would have been different if we spoke Japanese or were dining with Japanese friends.

The service was terrible. The fish quality was second class, not even authentic. Went there for a friend's birthday, won't recommend to anyone apart from those corporate guys who they may treat better. THE ONLY THING THEY WERE FIRST-CLASS WAS THE PRICE. 接客態度が酷い。刺身／寿司も大して本格的ではない。友人の誕生日祝いで行きましたが、大企業のお客さん以外には、店員さんの態度が悪すぎて全くオススメできません。一流だったのは値段だけ。。

‭ 这家店特别垃圾，因为我们说的中文所以一进门那个女服务员就说尽快吃，然后把三个人领到7人桌！我问隔壁四人桌是否可以坐她说不可以，接着店长又跑出来说我们坐错了，怎么不坐四人桌，换位置以后看菜单慢了点，店长很不耐烦，点完以后提醒我们一定要超过人均20，不好意思中国人在你们眼里就那么穷吗？30分钟没有任何服务，我上去问他，他冲我大吼说等20分钟不知道吗，一个人一个来，接着又下来对着我们桌上狂吼让我们懂礼貌？你们工作人员让我们尽快吃！上去买单的时候跟我们说在下面，下面的工作人员说在上面，回到上面以后买单的时候那位狂吼的店长骂到你们别再来了，你们隔壁桌懂日文的吃的很好，你们中国人怎么样怎么样！指着我一个女生骂

I entered the restaurant right now. It's still early 18：59 23 Aug 2018 nobody eating there. When i told the staff i am alone. They told me they are full booked today. Strange things!

在ロンドンの方の口コミ見てgoogleマップに保存していたのでたまたまピカデリー歩いていた時に入りました。 ランチがおススメで私はカキフライセットいただきました。両親は温ソーメンを食べて非常に気に入ってました。

This is the worst place ever I have got the worst Chef's special dinner in Japanese restaurant. They normally take the meaning of "Special" as "Arrogant". I do not mind if owner didn't understand ENGLISH to run their business in central London, but he doesn't need to be confident to pretend to understand everything and shouldn't be aggressive to customers who are going to pay to them. First of all, the man looks like owner is extremely rude and shouting in order just to pay for the dinner.... Also, the chef doesn't know how to deal with fish smell or they are using too bad quality of materials. I wish at least they will try to find just normal quality of fish in the UK. Last one is price. I would never try here again with that price based on the quality. The special menu have not got any sort of price on it. That means the quality of the fish is the crucial to set a price for them but they don't mind anything regarding quality anymore I thought. Anyways, I never suggest here and never go again in the future.

This place has excellent sushi and the service is friendly as well. The soups are also particularly good. However, the maitre d is so consistently bad tempered that the experience is spoiled beyond repair.

Sakana-tei is an authentic Japanese restaurant tucked away off Oxford St, serving a selection of great food including a lovely sashimi set. This is not the place to come for atmosphere - but the food definitely makes up for it.

純日本食屋さんです。 入ってカウンター、階段を降れば8人がけテーブル、4人がけテーブル四つ、2人がけもあります。 決まったメニューの他に本日のオススメも黒板で出してくれます。日本風！ 黒板には日本でしか食べられない一品料理の数々があります。 絶品は銀タラの味噌漬焼き。 タラの塩焼きも脂がのってて美味い。 ミョウガのお浸しなんかも食えます。 芋焼酎のお湯割でちびちび魚摘むなんて日本ですよね。 海外代表格の日本食(寿司、ラーメン)ではなく本物の味があります。 よくある海外で日本食レストラン始めました。ではない味です。 店員皆さん日本の方でちょっとしたワガママなんかも言ってしまうくらい居心地が良かったです。

Absolutely authentic hand made Japanese Sushi from this small, intimate family run business. Sushi was the freshest and tastiest I've ever had and every dish was described in great detail by our host. This has been my lifetime #1 dining experience!

Best sashimi in town. Moderate pricy. But the food quality worth every penny spent. We ordered assorted sashimi and chef’s special sushi. It’s definitely authentic and you can tell the chef knows what he’s doing when you see the sashimi was ranked from the lgihtest color to the darkest, because that’s the traditional & corrxt way to taste sushi/sashimi. Fatty tuna sushi was my favorite, although I will never order urchin again. The owner seems to be very angry and unfriendly all the time but another lady was always nice and helpful.

Been going here for years and not complain . It’s a family run Business. The fish fresh as it can get and good location if you are around Oxford Circus . Very friendly and very clean .

A must go place when you are in London and if you like real quality Japanese food with originality in the middle of Oxford Circus and Regent Street area! served by really nice Japanese people. Prices are not low but always good value with high satisfaction!

The attitude of a man staff is horrible..He does not care CS at all.

Completely authentic Japanese food

I don't even want to give them 1 star. Food was just o.k. Arrogant owner and service was horrible.

お昼は14時までと書かれていましたが、14時過ぎでも、まだお店がやっていたので助かりました。美味しいてんぷらにお刺身とても美味しかったです。

He comido y cenado aquí muchas veces.

みんな味覚おかしいのかな？食材に洗剤の味がした。二度も行ったけど同じ。

二回ほど行きましたが、他の方のレビューにあるような悪い印象は受けませんでした。一階の入り口から入ったときは、誰も店員さんが出迎えてくれなかったので、少し戸惑いはしました。初めて行ったら、地下にテーブルがあることに気づかず、「今日休みかな？」と思って帰ってします可能性もあったかもしれません。

One of the ladies serving were extremely helpful and kind, whereas one was dismissive. The food was ok but the vegetarian options are incredibly limited in comparison to other sushi restaurants in London but the worst part was the man at the till. He threw my change at me and it was the incorrect amount make matters worse.

Food was excellent. Service was delightful. And it wasn't a big machine, just an unassuming basement. Sakana-tei may be the best neighborhood gem I have found.

I really enjoy the food here......the problem is that it takes so long to arrive!

The food there is so good. and staff there make it a comfy little restaurant .

一直认为日本人及日本餐厅的服务都是全球top，在伦敦一直感受到英国人非常友善的帮助，然而却在一家日本餐馆被粗鲁对待，非常震惊，是遭受到最差的服务，感觉被羞辱了，对日本人的好感大降。（the worst service I met in London）

2人でディナーで伺いました。そんなにたくさん食べたわけでもなく、1人焼酎2杯飲んだだけなのに160ポンド弱。わざわざ内訳を聞きませんでしたが、間違えられたのか刺身が異常に高かったのか不明。お寿司ならKikuchiの方がおいしいです。サービスも気が利かなくて残念です。

Food is always impeccable. Good quality and well prepared. The only thing is that the atmosphere is too serious.. almost sad sometimes, but if you go for the food then you will not regret it ;)

I decided on an early lunch before an appointment nearby and chose this place based on Tripadvisor reviews of restaurants in the area. Located next door to Patara, with an easily missed sign, I entered the ground floor to find a narrow, shabby room with a long counter. Table seating is downstairs.

Well hidde next to Oxford street, you need to push the door of this unassuming small place to discover probably...

Very traditional, very authentic, I love it

Sakanatei is ideally placed if you're planning on shopping in the west end. A stone's throw from the Liberty store, it is a calm haven from the hectic streets. The interior is somewhat sterile & lacking in atmosphere but the staff are welcoming. There is an excellent choice of set lunch deals as well as an impressive a la carte menu. My Japanese friends were impressed by the sashimi; my fish chirubashi was fresh & the rice good. Prices are more than reasonable for the quality & location; I would definitely return for an authentic Japanese lunch experience.

The guy on the phone received my call in Japanese, which I understand and is totally fine. Ive called them to change my reservation time and he struggled to understand my english and vice versa. At the end of phone call, he tols me that the reservation was changed, which I was happy with, but he gave me a different reservation name. It was my assistant who made the reservation so I assumed she made a booking with different name but wanted to double check with her. But she was in the tube when I called her so I called the restaurant again to asked the same guy which name the reservation was under. He kept telling me that it was done. And I kept explaining that Im not asking him to do anything but to answer my question. Then I had to ask him to put someone who can speak English on the phone and he said he is speaking English. So Ive just told him ok that Ill be there at the time we made the reservation for and he just hung up the phone without saying anything. He was rude amd angry throughout the whole duration of my second phone call. Its ok if its their own policy to greet their customers and receive phone calls in Japanese language. But it's a problem when the staffs get mad at you because they can't conversate in the official language of the country where their restaurant is operating in. THE WORST experience even before I got there. Horrible staff training.

The best Japanese restaurant in town

Having watched so many authentic Japanese restaurants come and go in London, I'm glad this one looks set to stay.For a Mayfair restaurant (even though it's just on the edge) the ambience, decor, service and staff are not what you'd expect. Thank goodness!It's about as relaxed and unpretentious as you'll get in these parts. But that doesn't mean the service is sloppy. Most of the time they'll be almost too zippy but if it's obvious that you're in no rush, they'll let you graze at your own pace. At least until closing time draws near, then the pace really picks up, which is how it should be. And if you like the stuff that is served up on a conveyor belt, this probably isn't for you. It'll be much to fresh and flavoursome for your tastes ;-)

Food is okay but the person collecting bill has an aweful service attitude

Don't expect a conveyor belt! Having watched so many authentic Japanese restaurants come and go in London, I'm glad this one looks set to stay. For a Mayfair restaurant (even though it's just on the edge) the ambience, decor, service and staff are not what you'd expect. Thank god! It's about as relaxed and unpretentious as you'll get in these parts. And if you like the stuff that is served up on a conveyor belt, this probably isn't for you. It'll be much to fresh and flavoursome for your tastes ;-)

Ho mangiato in questo ristorante Vero Giapponese, e la qualità del cibo è molto alta. Ovviamente si paga caretto, ma non si ha niente per niente.

昼間のランチにオフィスを抜け出し一人ランチしました。お寿司がおすすめとのことで食べたくて。他のレビューに書いてあるように男性店員の態度が悪く、私が日本語で返答しても英語。しかも4品しか書いてないおすすめランチの紙をぺらっと置いただけ。私は他のメニューもらえますか？といっても変な顔されたので、しかたなく28ポンドもするにぎりセットを頼みました。そうめんはおいしかったですが、お寿司はでてきてびっくり、まぐろの寿司が4貫とまぐろのなんちゃらが何切れかあっただけ。帰るときに他のランチメニューがあることに気づきなんで最初から教えてもらえなかったんだろうとすごく悲しくなりました。（まぐろたいして好きじゃなかったし）隣の人が頼んでいたお寿司セットが来ると思ってたので、ショックで。サービスが悪いところは二度と行きません。私の友人同僚みんなに最悪のところだと宣伝します。

This is a small very Japanese style restaurant. I had lunch and choose a lunch box style food. The service was good the food was served quickly and was of a very good quality. There are cheaper places where the food is good, but a little bit more buys quality.

Много вкусно, оригинален японски ресторант

One of London's more reliable Japanese places evidenced by a high level of Japanese clientele and a decor dating from the 80's when Japan was Number One! ...Sushi is good, (but not the best in london,), while the other standards are very worthwhile - Grilled fish set, Udon, Tempura and plenty of small plates. My regular, reliable lunch joint for Japanese..

It was a nice dscovery, the place is very simple and basic but the service is perfect and the food excellent. I tryed thesashimi and they were the best I have ever eaten in my life, fish was fresh, and the rice was tasty. You have to try it and the place is very easy to find, when walking in Regent street, just before arriving at the Oxford Circus Tube Station, You'll find the Maddox street on your left.

It's a small place serving good sushi. We came after a long day to this place following recommendation of a local. Had good 'special Nigiri ' good unagi and salmon skin hand roll. Location is great for tourists. 5 min down Regent from Oxford Circus.

I was looking for a lunch place around and was thinking of eating sushi. They have daily specials and it is good! First an udon noodle, great broth. I sat opposite the sushi chefs/ masters. It is great to see them make the sushi in front of me. The sushi and sashimi were so fresh. And the staff very friendly and warm. Hope to go back soon.

リバティ百貨店にほど近い日本料理店。　店頭には本物で作ったサンプルが。

Had a minimum £20pp and decor is out dated. Only redeeming feature is the food quality.

口コミのなかに、サービスが悪い、というような評判もありましたが、実はここのご主人は九州男児。実はとても良いひとで、一徹なところもあり、そうみえるかもしれません。すぐに打ち解けてくれ、サービスもよいと思います。また味は格別なので、地元の日本人にも評判がよいお店です。

長年、ロンドンに住んでいる間、とってもお世話になった和食屋さん。お寿司食べるならここが一番おいしいです！！ランチはお値段もお手頃ですよ。

Accueil deplorable Sans réservation et comme nous étions avec des enfants ( de 9 et 11 ans) il n y avait pas de table pour nous mais pour les autres oui !!!Nous aurions du partir en courant mais malheureusement nous avons persévéré.... et ils ont toujours été aussi désagréables ! Un conseil passez votre chemin !

This restaurant was across the street from our Air BnB flat. It was a rainy night and we tried to go the Thai restaurant on the same street. They were booked and lucky for us because we fell into Sakanatie almost by accident. It was wonderful. We kept the sushi coming and it was wonderfully fresh and well prepared.

We had delicious fresh sushi and sashimi. The cold soup was perfect.The staff is polite and friendly.I will definitely eat there again.

I went here for dinner. On a Friday night it was only half full. It's quite small, and when I was there we were the only non Japanese speaking table. The food was classic and very good.

I love this place! I think it offers the best sushi in London. It is not cheap but the quality of fish is superb. It is not a coincidence that the majority of customers are Japanese. I have been coming here for over 10 years. The atmosphere is nothing to write home about but the staff are friendly apart from the manager/owner. If you love sushi you have to visit Sakanatei.

I visited Sakanatei with my friend to taste its Chiraishi don. The quality of the food was completely overwhelming, it was the best chiraishi I have ever had so far in my life. The taste was perfect in both the sashimi and rice, together they created an absolutely combo that make me remember until now. Definitely will visit it again

Utter dissapointment. Sushi wasn't great at all (esp considering high end price). Surprised that they force you to have a compulsory appetizer which you assume is complimentary until you see the bill after. Was told minimum charge of £20 per person so ordered an extra £4 dish but the bill was £46 suggesting that the dish was never required. Finally, bill not itemized (only a lump sum figure is provided)

日本食を食べたくていきました。お刺身は美味しかったです。日本でいう居酒屋さんのメニューがいろいろ食べられます。

日本人が評価を載せる意味のないくらい安定の日本料理屋。酒も揃ってるし場所もいいし通いたい位です。

Yes the place is 200% outdated, unfashionable and in need of refurbishment. But who cares when you have the best sushis/shashimis in the area? Huge choice, super fresh, large and nice cuts. At least half of the customers are Japanese which says a lot...

予約の電話の対応（男性の方）が悪いと評判なので、イギリス人の友達に電話してもらったところ。。。まず、勤め先を聞いてくる(日系企業で働いてないと予約したらだめなんかい？)、会社名言わないと、誰の紹介か聞いてくる(京都の一見さんお断りの店かい？)最後に、「うちは、値段高いけど大丈夫？」って、どんだけ失礼なのーーーーー？？戦線恐々とお店にいくと、女性の方々は皆さん接客はフレンドリーでした。初めて行かれる方は、ランチがお勧めです。予約なしで、お値段もリーズナブルです。お刺身は、イギリス近郊もしくは、北米等で取れたものだそうで、天然物だそうです。まーでも、あの上から目線的な電話対応だと、お客は常連のみになってくでしょうね。。

Went there with a friend, I have to say, it was extremely fresh and good for a decent price, staff very kind and polite, bravo !Long live SakanateiCheers

This is a truly 'Japanese' Japanese if that makes sense. Once inside you could be in Tokyo. The staff are Japanese. The menu is comfortably familiar to anyone used to this type of venue. It's a plain, sober environment. Somewhat tired. The food was good - both of us had the sushi set menu. Nice salad, nice soup, good sushi.Green tea nice. Also it's reasonably well priced. Why not 4 or more stars? Well it's one of a clutch of these restaurants in Mayfair. They are much the same and none out any effort in to excel. On balance, and whilst I appreciate the simplicity, isn't the money better spent at Sake no Hana which had better food, a great space and design and natural light in the eating area?

The worst Japanese restaurant I've ever been to! We visited the restaurant after 8:30pm. There were no more than 6 tables occupied. We only ordered 5 dishes including appetizers, sashimi and noodles. It took them an hour to serve the first four, and another half an hour to realize they actually forgot one. When we asked the manager to give us an explanation, he offered his "apology" by asking "So what?! What do you want?!" ...It's our first visit, and no doubt it will be the last one as well! P.s. The food was just ok, kind of overpriced. Given the time we wasted, it doesn't worth at all!

The worst Japanese restaurant I've ever been to! We visited the restaurant after 8:30pm. There were no more than 6 tables occupied. We only ordered 5 dishes including appetizers, sashimi and noodles. It took them an hour to serve the first four, and another half an hour to realize they actually forgot one. When we asked the manager to give us an explanation, he offered his "apology" by asking "So what?! What do you want?!" ...It's our first visit, and no doubt it will be the last one as well!

Went there for lunch some time ago and enjoyed the food, so I decided to book a table for four for lunch on a Thursday. The restaurant is closed on Sun and Mon, so I tried on Tuesday and got a voice mail. Eventually got though on Tue evening. Was told that the restaurant has several bookings for lunch on Thu already so they were unwilling to take on more bookings but suggested I arrive at 12:00 when it opens for lunch and try my luck. i.e. It was not fully booked but refused to take my booking. Why? I won't bother trying in the future, there are other equally or better Japanese restaurants in the area,

Alguns pratos bons, como salmão greilhado ao sal, muito bom, beef .O serviço muito lento.O restaurante não estava cheio, mais o serviço muito ruin.Bem simplis.

Do not judge a book from its cover and this is the case.I just love this place, you forget to be in central London. Really good food, authentic japanese, not too much contamination but simple and pure japanese. Love everything we tried but there's a lot more to discover. Nice staff, try to reserve a seta at the bar, you can fully enjoy the athmosphere. this is not the place to show off but to enjoy good food.

Took us a lot of cajoling to get a reservation here... round eyes are not so prevalent but we came for authentic Japanese food because we've all lived there, in the lower level restaurant. On Maddox Street not far from Oxford Circus you could walk by this door. Excellent sushi, light, perfect tempura, Japanese ice cream, the best of the best. Service is truly Asian: professional and sparse and well-timed.If you like Japanese food, do NOT miss this one.

Sakana-Tei is one of those places where after entering you find yourself forgetting to be in London. This restaurant is like being in Japan as everything is authentic. Staff is Japanese. Interiors are Japanese. Food is utterly Japanese, meaning of outstanding quality. Whatever I tried I gave it 10/10! And this jem is also good value for money as you can have a decent meal for 20/25 pounds. Definitely recommended for Japanese-food lovers!

Really good food and very helpful and lovely staff. Highly recommend it. Access for wheelchairs could be difficult as most of the seating is downstairs but there is a sushi bar upstairs so that might be possible.

Lovely lunch and wonderful service. Rice, salmon, vegetables and many sauces and dips. Will go back.

Was really looking forward to taking my daughter here for dinner as we love Japanese food and it was very close to our hotel. Upon entering, the waitress asked if we had a booking. Hearing that we didn't, she asked her manager if we could have a table...which I thought strange, seeing as the whole upstairs was completely empty. The manager looked at us and said (note: to the waitress, not to us, despite being right in front of us) we could only have one if we spent a minimum of 20GPB per head. Now... usually I would have no problem with this if I were with another adult, however...I was with my THREE year old child. I asked if there could be an exception for my daughter, to which he said ....again, to the waitress and not to us...No. Absolutely ridiculous. If they put as much effort into the food as they do customer service, one can only imagine what the food quality is like. Happy to take my business elsewhere any day.

What an utter joke.Having lived in Japan for 16 years, I was excited to try the Japanese food at Sankatei in Maddox Street.What we found was a proprietor (who clearly owns the establishment) who did not want us to sit at the upstairs counter and instead ushered us downstairs into their soulless basement where we were the only people there. Indeed, despite the "reserved" tables, nobody else arrived during the evening. Moreover, on our exit, the upstairs counter was filled only with Asian people and there was room for other patrons.The food was distinctly average and they've done a tremendous job of disguising their pricing under the heading "seasonal prices". We ordered negitoro maki at the end of the meal to be shocked with the price that each handroll was valued by the establishment at £17/each. Our bill, with a fewl rolls and some house sake came to £117.00.This was the first and last time we will ever enter that establishment and would never recommend anyone looking for wholesome and well priced Japanese food to support this restaurant.Buyer beware.

This place is good if you think you know Japanese food ... this is not authentic and is taking the customers for a ride by charing an arm and a leg. There are just as so many other choices than this place that pretends to be authentic

overall the service was very poor.one hour wait for sushi, and no plate to eat it off when it arrived.the food, in general was pretty good, with the exception of the sushi which had far to much wasabi in the rolls.California roll without crab or crab stick? that's not California roll in my book!

Fantastic set lunch of large bowl od tastiest cold noodle soup, so flavoursome, little salad, and the best unagi (grilled eel) Don I have had for years and only those I had in Japan come close! Courteous service, tastiest food and 16 quid bill left this customer very happy!

taken by friends who work nearby and it was just like being back in Kobe. unglamorous interior, hard working chef, lady boss making sure everything is just correct. we had special lunch of day and enjoyed.it all Real Nihon ryori, oishi kata desu,