Sapporo Ichiban in Lewisham

We have waited too long to write a review for our most favorite place in London. And no, we are not in the so called new age "food critics" category, whatever that meand. If you're expecting high end service and a katana wielding lesson, this is not the place for you. We are also not "authentic Japanese food experts", as some gleefully label themselves, we just like the restaurant, top to bottom, authentic or not. Service can be slow at times, as it can be experienced IN ANY OTHER RESTAURANT ON THE PLANET, but if you're not going there after a starvation diet or during peak times, it should be fine. Consider that it is a family business and three, four people are usually doing everything, from cooking to serving and cleaning. We often take our own empty plates back or we even clear our own table, as to give them a hand (now the restaurant aficionados are going to have a mild stroke upon hearing this) but that, for us, is part of the charm of the place. Food wise, we have never been disappointed, I mean NEVER, and the price per quality and quantity can't be beaten in London. We are two average people and we never seem to pass over the 25 pounds bill, for both of us. That's literally the cheapest dinners we ever had in London. Since we've been going there for one year and a half we've got to know the staff and they've gotten to know us and we've always been understanding of the serving times or possible mishaps. So, my advice is to go there with an open mind and decent appetite and if you're planning to visit the restaurant at peak times, be ready to wait a bit for your food. And stop whining about everything. 2024 UPDATE: Sapporo has lost nothing of its charm, despite others trying to squeeze it out of Catford (yes, Taro, I am looking at you!). We moved to East London a few months ago but Sapporo still remains our go-to sushi spot in London, and always worth the long trip!

It’s our first time at the Sapporo and this restaurant offers value for money, great service and food was delicious. Definitely will visit again.

Family-run restaurant, decorated in oriental style but in need of renovation. We ordered both sushi and some hot dishes. The food arrived promptly, the sushi was good but the hot food was honestly not good, the flavors of the various dishes were not well distinguished. Very low prices, I recommend it for a meal with friends, without great expectations. The honest rating would be 3.5 but since I can give 3 or 4 stars I prefer to reward the owners' commitment with 4 stars.

A local gem - fantastic, authentic food and lovely owners

Had another meal at this amazing, family run Japanese restaurant this evening. My wife and I had the starters (pictured) and Salmon Terryaki Bento for our mains. The food is always excellent here (we have been going for over 20 years) and the prices are amazing (by far the cheapest Japanese we have found in South East London). This is why they don't use the delivery companies (who take 30% from the restaurants). The husband (cook) and wife (waitress) team who own and run the business are so kind. I also enjoy their hot saki, beer and green tea (but not in the same cup!).

Lovely food, good value and excellent service. We love this place!

Don't judge the place by the tired décor. The food is great and amazing value with lots of options. Service is friendly and attentive. Certainly worth a visit and we will go back soon.

Had a delicious take away from there the other day. They were lovely and offered me a tea while I was waiting which doesn't happen often in London and felt pretty special🌟 I would love to go back and eat there with friends. The only thing that would truly improve the experience was if vegan dishes were clearly marked on the menu. It's a big factor when we're choosing a place to go because it's a real relief not having to ask or guess 😅

It was like our home, where every night a warm place awaited us with a delicious hot and delicious dinner 😋 We will never forget the love with which they treated us. We wish you all the best in the world We hope to see you again soon ❤️ Thank you very much ☺️🙏🏻

I love Sapporo. The food is tasty, it isnt too expensive and the staff are really friendly. It's a really nice local place.

Don't judge a book by its cover! Incredible value meal, similar restaurants are often twice as expensive. Homely food, large portions and welcoming service. I hope they stay in business for years to come, I'll definitely be returning.

Been to this place years ago to discover Japanese food, can't say when. In my recollection, food was nice, service was good, atmosphere not great as I was the only customer when eating, some came as I was leaving.

The best Japanese food in South London. Great atmosphere, service and food! Highly recommended!

Lovely little place in Catford with delicious food, such good value and great service.

Definitely a hidden gem in Catford as so many people have said, but also a reminder that a family business of 20 years will always pour more attention, care and LOVE into the food then the newer generations, with our rubbish attention spans! My favourite food - there are many- is the Eel dragon roll and the salmon / tuna sashimi are super fresh and of the highest quality! Always so comfortably stuffed and happy after dinner here, Masa and her hubby are really are amazing people and chefs! Definitely one of the best Sushi restaurants in all of London! Enjoy! x

Delightful Japanese restaurant! A very nostalgic and relaxing eating experience - attentive service and great food. A real gem.

Great calm place to be, I love the sushi that they have. They have a wide range of food if you don't like sushi! (They might even give you free matcha green tea chocolate's!)

Simply the best! Food is always EPIC and the staff are equally as EPIC!

This is one of those great little gems of a location. This small family run business has a incredibly sweet and attentive family, serving and making the food. It's sometimes a bit quiet which is a shame as it's great, im shocked not more people know about this place and go to it! We've eaten at many sushi restaurants and what this places offers is really good value, quality and size portions and we go basically every few weeks. Some of our favourites things to get are the hand rolls, tempura prawns and sashimi but if you like a stickier fried rice that is so morish too. Also, Catford roll! It's a menu icon! Would highly recommend and love taking our family and friends here.

This place is great. You can tell that there is so much effort put into each dish. I've had a variety of sushi, sides and soup. All were great. The portions are very generous. Definitely recommend.

Very traditional Japanese. The staff were very nice and the cost is low

I absolutely love the sushi here, catford roll is my fave. Try to go here when it's less busy, otherwise you may experience a little bit of a wait but trust me it is worth it.

I have nothing but love for this charming restaurant. The people (family?) who run it are ever so sweet and the food is excellent every time. As far as I can tell, everything is made fresh. I've been here to celebrate special occasions mang times over the years, my own, my friend's and family's too. Sapporo's the unsung hero of Catford and things just wouldn't be the same without it there. Thank you!!

A fabulous gem in Catford! The menu is extensive, and, as I'm a vegetarian, there were options available for me.

Lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious food - very affordable!

Really helpful & friendly staff a good choice of Japanese food but could do with more choice of beers. The food service can be a little bit slow when it is busy.

I love this place, the owners are lovely and the food is always 5 stars. It's one of the best local places

A true gem. Delicious fresh food, brilliant service and an unexpected treat of green tea chocolate at the end. Can not recommend enough!

The yummiest sushi and the nicest people! Everything we wanted for our family meal. Will be bringing everyone here 🩵

This is a lovely family own restaurant. We, as a family, have been eating there for the past 16 years. We are always welcomed, the food is delicious and not overly priced.

I like it here but their food hygiene rating is 2* - on the door it says 3, which is incorrect. I won’t be revisiting until it’s at least 4*.

It is a lovely restaurant, but for my liking it is a bit cold there.

Best Japanese restaurant in South East London! Beautiful food and friendly service.

Lovely food, good portion, many options to choose from the menu

Been going here for almost 2 decades, The best Japanese restaurant in Catford hands down.

Sunken seating area is fun, kids love it. The sushi is extremely yum.

I’ll never not adore this restaurant. I’ve been coming here for nearly a decade, not super regularly but it’s never disappointed me. The sushi is fresh and flavourful with soft and fluffy rice, the drinks and cheap and cheerful (get the plum wine!!!) and they’ve always got room for me and my friends. One of my fave sushi places in south east london, I would take anyone here. And the value is amazing!! You always leave full and they’ve always got something you want. It’s even good for my veggie and vegan friends!

Delicious mouthwatering food and a wide selection of authentic Japanese dishes to choose from; best I’ve had in London so far. Fantastic and warm service. Very reasonable prices. Wholeheartedly recommend. <3

Extremely slow service. Really wanted to love the place as the staff are nice. Starters were fairly tasty but after waiting over an hour for ramen to arrive we had to ask for the bill early as we had booked to see a film at the cinema nearby. There were only 4 other tables when we arrived and all already had their food so not sure why it was taking so long to make ramen. I thought an hour and 10 mins would be plenty of time to whip up some noodles but sadly not. Would come back but only if I have a spare 3-4 hours as it seems to take a while to make dishes. Not sure how they’d cope if the restaurant was actually full but definitely need more/faster cooks

Good local Japanese restaurant with friendly service and a choice of Japanese and Western style tables.

Banging Sushi. Food is absolutely superb. Do not let the sad potted plant facade deceive you!

Horrible food, nothing os anywhere near traditional, tempura was heavy and oily when it should be light and crunchy, salad can't be called a salad, sushi was frozen and wasn't even fully thawed then served. DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU WANT ACTUAL JAPANESE FOOD.

Nice food with great pricing, will definitely visit again!

One of my favourite places in Catford! Food is always on point!

An authentic Japanese restaurant with wide variety of food Spicy beef ramen, gyozas and yakitori all delicious Decently priced also As only 2 staff members service was a little slow but super friendly

Always genuinely amazing. Regular returning customers and best sushi in London city.

Cheapest and tastiest icecream mochi you will find! I've enjoyed everything I've eaten here and the staff are a delight. The prices and service and food is well worth a trip ❤️

Really awesome food! I have been going here for years and it never disappoints. The staff are great too! Definitely a local jem!

What a gem. Great food, very reasonably priced and the ground floor seating is a nice quirk

The best and most affordable sushi in London. Well worth a visit.

Delicious food and excellent service at great prices, very warming and homely meal. Would recommend to everyone, good for groups of friends and family.

Lovely food, slightly slow service. Nevetheless, a must visit!

Great place for food and resonable pricing too

Lovely experience, very pleasant and calm place for dinner with friends or family.

Always delicious food at a great price. Local gem

Really nice food, good variety and great for non carnivores. Service was a little slow (was busy) but friendly and attentive. Hidden gem, this place.

Loved it. Delicious and most appetising. Not expensive. Very clean. Excellent service. I also bought fresh Salmon and Avocado Sushi to take home.

Very nice food - all fresh and hot. I had the miso soup, vegetarian gyozo and a vegetarian sushi platter. Very generous portions too! I couldn’t finish the sushi so took some home. Service was nice and attentive (I asked if they could swap some of my sushi). To be honest I was sceptical reading about sushi in catford (there are not many restaurants here anyways) but I am honestly delighted ❤️

This is such an underrated gem and some of the best sushi I've had in South London for a ridiculously reasonable price! Don't judge a book b its cover - the front of this restaurant does not do this place justice. The sushi is as good as any I've had at fancy central London restaurants but for SUCH a low price. The staff are amazing, the unique setting (sunken tables) makes it so much fun, and the Japanese-Chinese menu includes all my favourite dishes from both cuisines! I almost don't want more people to find out about this place but the owners really deserve it because they're doing such an amazing job. The free matcha chocolate that they make in-house and give you with the bill was the icing on the cake !

Great food, the tempura is absolutely delicious. I love the traditional seating available for customers. Nice decor and nice prices as well.

Great restaurant, very tasty food and wonderful staff. A d great value

Stumbled across this place looking for somewhere to eat before the cinema. Incredible food and great service. Freshly made sushi, perfectly fried don buri duck. Just bang!

Amazing sushi restaurant! Food made to order, brilliant service and even gives little gifts at the end for my neice’s birthday. Lovely place and will definitely be back!

Fantastic restaurant with great food and great customer service.

This is not the most helpful of reviews but I wanted to balance out the amazing reviews everywhere that convinced us to visit. I did the best out of us, as I am gluten free. There was very little choice but I had some rice with dried meat and some kind of pickled veg on the side. When you stirred it together it was tasty. My friend's food - sorry I don't know the name frankly looked like vomit and she didn't like it at all. Her daughter was also unimpressed with her food. I felt bad when I looked at their plates and bad that I had invited them. We enjoyed the novelty of sitting on the floor with our legs hanging into the 'pit' and there was a nice atmosphere.

I found this place by accident while taking a different route home. While it looks nothing special from the outside, it definitely has a lot to offer and is a very good value for money. Aside from traditional tables you can also seat Japanese style at the low tables which adds to the climate. The menu is very rich, prices are very low and portions generous. You can choose from a selection of starters, sushi and variety of hot dishes. My personal favourite were takoyaki and it’s probably the only place you can find them in this area. I also went for chicken kara-age, crispy squid, prawn rolls and mushrooms on skewers. All freshly made and served hot to the table. Very nice service as well and

This place is a gem. I've eaten here many times and always been impressed. The owners and all the staff are so welcoming and lovely. At the busiest times it can be a little bit slow, so I find it's better to order things to share as the kitchens turn out dishes one after the other, but it's always worth the wait and always a good time.

A HIDDEN GEM! Staff are so welcoming and service is great. There’s a lot of love and character in this business, always get excited to eat here. I enjoy trying slightly more daring foods at times but get too scared to, however, when I dine here I don’t have to worry as I can trust them!

Such nice food + great value. Everything we had was lovely

Delicious and fresh! Great veggie options including sushi and bento boxes, nice to see the open kitchen too. Can’t wait to try more of the menu ☺️

Great Food and pleasant atmosphere. Went there with friends last Tuesday. We had a great time- plenty of choice and all freshly cooked. Also had a variety of Asian beers.

Eccentrically delightful. They have some artistic flare with the way they prepare the food. Worth a visit.

Good quality of food and very decent price. Service is good too. Visited a few times in the past but I should visit here more often as a local!

Well priced, can't wait to go again. Staff are friendly and attentive. Food is all fresh and the plum wine is delicious!

Very reasonable pricing, quite good sushi, very good noodles, smiling staff.. I’d definitely recommend everyone who likes Far East food, especially sushi 😅

Staff were lovely, food was AMAZING. Excellent value for money too. I think they will become my regular takeout.

Friendly service and delicious food. The generous portion of tempura king prawn was particularly good, and the sushi was wonderful. Highly recommended.

Food never fails here, definitely my go-to sushi place!

My favourite Japanese place in London! Great prices small local run business would 110% recommend

Really delicious. I went for the tofu bento box, was good !!

Lovely family owned business. Mostly very tasty. Honestly could do with refurbishing and a nice deep clean. But overall it is a very family friendly place, with very tasty and reasonably priced food. Would have given 5 stars if the place was cleaner.

Favourite place for a take away for my whole family and all friends 🖤

To be honest I wasn't sure at begining how the food would taste. But it was delicious and affordable. Especially the shushi's variety of dishes and fresh...would definitely recommend and go back again

One of the best sushi restaurant in London, our favorite!!! We love the food and we love the service. The lady owner is really nice, warm and welcoming.

Delicious sushi - the eel and salmon nigiri are up there with what you get in Japan. Great value too.

Love the food and all the Japanese green tea. Agedashi tofu yummy. Service is a bit less frenetic because it's a family run restaurant with one chef so give it a rest with the impatience. Would definitely recommend and it's great to have these kind of places to have a sit down meal in Catford.

I love this restaurant. All my family is going to dine there. The service is always 5 stars 😉 We are definitely recommend this restaurant

Love the kimchi and bento boxes. Always a calm but friendly atmosphere

Very lovely food at an affordable price

Can you believe a sushi restaurant in the middle of Catford? Food is fresh and made on the premises. Been going there for years and never been disappointed. 💯🔯

Great food, very nice service. I recommend

Sapporo nunca deja de deleitarse. La comida era deliciosa (al igual que el vino en realidad), nos sentimos seguros allí (las mesas están distanciadas y se desinfectan regularmente) y el servicio fue especialmente bueno. He frecuentado este restaurante varias veces a lo largo de los años y estaba especialmente interesado en apoyarlo después del cierre del Reino Unido. Como nunca antes había dejado una reseña en línea de Sapporo, a pesar de valorarla tanto, esta reseña tiene como objetivo corregir ese error. Como dije anteriormente, el servicio fue impecable: nos dieron espacio cuando lo necesitábamos (me estaba poniendo al día con mi mejor amiga después de meses de no vernos) y estaban atentos cuando estábamos listos para pedir más, ¡lo cual hacíamos con frecuencia! Compartimos algunos entrantes (gyoza de cerdo, rollitos de aguacate, tempura de verduras) antes de pasar a los platos principales (ramen de pollo y la caja de bento teriyaki de pato) con vino. El tinto de la casa tenía mucho cuerpo y no estaba diluido como en otros restaurantes. Siempre obtengo la tempura vegetariana en este restaurante porque realmente es muy buena. Esta vez no incluía camote ni pimientos, lo cual fue decepcionante, pero los champiñones rebozados y la coliflor estaban deliciosos. La caja de bento para mí tiene una excelente relación calidad-precio (vea las fotos que publiqué del menú para los precios de septiembre de 2020), ya que obtiene un tazón de sopa de miso humeante y lleno de verduras, así como el plato principal y los encurtidos. A mi amiga le encantaba su ramen, al igual que a mi hermana, a quien pedí llevar al mismo tiempo que cené con mi amiga. Apoya este restaurante local si puedes. ¡Estaba muy agradecido por el servicio de primer nivel que recibí a principios de esta semana, y por la barriga llena con la que me fui también!

Amazing fresh food. Authentic setting. Traditional Japanese dining. Tofu was amazing. Salmon and Eel excellent

Amazing Japanese food. I particularly like the sushi and sashimi which are made with great quality fish. I recently discovered they do take away (pick up only) which is a real treat.

Had another great meal here. Shame more people won't venture out at the moment. Will be back soon.

amazing food! Hey guys, I hope you're all well during this time. We are loyal customers who normally get take away from you. It pains me to see you closed. Can you not do take away only? Or even deliveroo / Uber eat. Me and my partner has spent over £200 in other sushi places, who are not even half as good as you. Have you consider pick up only?

My family and I love this place. Food is always great, and astonishingly affordable for Japanese. One of our favourite restaurants in all of London.

We love it. Lovely food and lovely people.

Friendly Japanese restaurant. lovely traditional food.

Siempre tengo que comer aquí al menos una o tres veces al mes. El mejor restaurante asiático en Lewisham / Catford. Amo el ambiente. Son muy buenos en lo que están haciendo y en la comida que preparan. Las cajas bento valen la pena, así como los entrantes. El personal es muy educado y acogedor. Iba a dar un 5 * en total, pero tenía que ir con 4 * porque los necesitaba urgentemente, pero todavía no. He estado yendo a este restaurante durante años y honestamente siento que es hora de intensificar el juego. Es una gran caminata viajar de Lewi a Catford, especialmente cuando estoy tan cansado del trabajo, por lo que le recomiendo una entrega. De lo contrario, no podría pedir nada mejor, ¿solo una leve recomendación adicional?