Sushi No Mai in Watford

Hole in the wall eatery serving authentic Japanese dishes. Great food and great service.

A lovely place, we have come here for many years ~

Very good food and great service :)

Extremely rude as I walked in just to view the menu. Tables were also dirty. Do not recommend due to thier rude customer service. Plenty of other friendly sushi places in Watford.

Food was OK. Nothing too fancy. Menu selection have been reduced. Maybe because staff shortage. Waiting time for food just a bit long. But will definitely return, just make sure have plenty of time for lunch.

Food is good but we wait for our order more than 20 mins.

Watford’s best kept secret for no fuss sushi. Hole in the wall reminiscent of eateries across Southeast Asia except this one located on top floor. Ordered three dishes and waitress reminded me it’s quite big. I managed to finish it all on my own and she was quite impressed. Note: I wasn’t able to take all photos of what I ate

It is so sad for me to write this review as this use to be one of the best sushis in the area if not London. Ever since the old man died the business has gone progressively down! The care and attention he paid is no longer there. Initially, they stopped selling sushi and you could only eat inside the various noodles and rice dishes which really surprised us as we thought surely knowing how old he was they must have learnt how to make the sushi. Instead, they just couldn’t be bothered. However, soon they realised it is the core of the business as the sushi was tasty, fresh ingredients, authentic and reasonably priced. If you normally got to the shop after 11am, there would be nothing left to take away. We’ve been coming here for years both for take away and to eat in. My husband recently went back to the shop and he was told he could now order sushi which he got very excited about, However, he was told you now can’t just buy them you have to order and come back in 30 minutes. You can’t wait or call the shop before hand. This was still not a problem for us. I went back and ordered. Unfortunately, this will be the last time we ever go back there again. The ‘sushi’ is now only salmon and tuna. The salmon is the grisly cut you would throw away. Only 6 pieces in a box and prepared with no care at all! Thick uneven cuts, no Daikon just a couple of wilted lettuce. The tuna was brown which I was worried about. We only ate half of it and binned the rest. Unfortunately, I still ended up having an upset stomach a few hours later. The 6 boxes of sushi cost £50 which in the past it would have got us boxes and boxes of sushi. They have become lazy, lack of care and lost the very essence of their business. I have written previously numerous reviews about the amazing sushi and the hidden gem this place was. If it is sushi you’re after seriously do not bother going here it is not what it used to be!

Delicious food and friendly staff. Highly recommended.

The opening was 11am, no customers apart from us with 5 staff around. We were informed 15-20 mins late due to understaff. We waited for 30 mins and I asked when are they going to seat us as we were waiting for a while, but the reply was “no guarantee”! If they only told us that there was no guarantee from the start, we did not wait and just ate somewhere else. Hungry and upset, so we just left. Very poor service. Do not go there, there are lots of restaurants around that area.

I have been a fan even when they first appeared at the original Watford Market. The food is probably some of the best this side of London. The main problem now is that it is way understaffed and you may have to wait over an hour for you food. I hope that they can get the right staff sorted out soon and the reviews will then improve 🙏🏻🙏🏻

The food is excellent, but the service is dreadful. They constantly struggle to find staff, leaving customers waiting for hours to be served or for takeaways. Investing more in staff would likely win back customers.

This was our first time trying this eatery in the Watford market. The staff are keen to help and provide quick service, both in taking your orders and preparing the food. I was rather disappointed by the seafood curry. For £7.30 I was expecting a little more food. It was rather bland with just a little bit of rice as well and both were not as hot as I'd have liked them to be. The Vegetable Ramen was oily and lacked flavour and also for £7.50 this was not worth the price. Tried it once but won't be going back.

This hidden gem is the real deal. At first view from the outside, this small restaurant in Watford Market appears a bit unglamorous. But if you're into genuine Japanese cuisine this is not to be missed. Authentic Japanese flavours freshly prepared with the finest ingredients. The staff are friendly and helpful. Sushi No Mai gets a bit busy at lunchtime, but it's worth the wait.

Probably the most authentic Japanese diner I've been to with all Japanese staff, the specials are all very well presented. Highly recommend.

We went to the restaurant and asked to eat outside. We watched people who came after us give orders, eats and leave. We received our order (only two dishes and a bottle of water) 40 minutes later after asking for an update as we were quite hungry. The food was okay but the portions were quite small. The lady who took the order from us asked us to pay before eating which I found a bit odd given we hadn’t even received the order yet. Quite disappointed and felt a bit awkward/uncomfortable. Not sure if it was because we were the only dark skinned there but when I told the lady after eating that it wasn’t okay how we were treated and she didn’t do anything about it. Really sad…

come to try the ramen but it is not very surprising The taste is fair, but the service is nice maybe their sushi is better looks fresh

I love this place but I'm a bit gutted as they don't seem to have sushi take away anymore. I totally understand that this was down to the sad passing of one of the owners. I will continue to check back and hope they start again soon. The quality of food is always amazing and service is great. The owner always greets you when you arrive and after my recent visit she remembers me even from the days when they were in the old market. Definitely worth giving it a go.

Very nice and typical Japanese small shop. unassuming but very professional. Looks like family run.

Tried sushi & ramen here for the first time today and it was delicious. They squeezed us in as a very popular place and we did wait a little while for food but so worth the wait. Will definitely visit again!

Some lovely food, excellent quality and very affordable. Highly recommended

The best sushi in all of Watford

Probably the best Japanese hideaway in the UK. I’m nervous to write this review because Sushi No Mai is already way too packed for my liking. I lived for a while in Rapongi, Tokyo’s restaurant district, and this little hidden Japanese restaurant in Watford immediately transports me back there. Do yourself a favour and find their website, and then read their “Concept “. It will put a smile on your face. And maybe your children will hum.

We ordered chicken katsu curry the chicken came out cold the rice and sauce hot we sent it back and came back exactly the same. I has prawn curry and only got 2 prawns. Looks nice the prawns were nice shame about cold chicken twice.

really special lunch at this lovely, authentic Japanese restaurant. Friendly team, and really great value.

This place is nestled away in the Watford market and very small and cramped, but highly worth it. The head chef is very well trained in his profession and the servings are huge for relatively cheap prices. Not the largest range in menu but I got the chicken katsu curry which was massive as you can see in my photo! My mum got a ramen and my dad got a sushi bento set. They also sell their own sushi sets that you can buy to take home which they prepare fresh everyday!

Excellent Japanese food and good value highly recommended!!

大将が2022年11月にお亡くなりになったとのことで、寿司が食べられないと事前にご説明いただきました。お悔やみ申し上げます。 マグロのお刺身とエビフライカレーをオーダーしました。マグロのお刺身は味を感じられなくて残念でした。カレーは確かに日本のカレーでしたが、具が無かったです。今後寿司職人の再来を思い、星4個としました。

Visited with my families as being recommended and no sushi available. Found quality is just average but price looks cheap with no service charge only. Attached photos cost £8- for sashimi and £9- with rice, actually not cheap at all with this quality. Rice is pearl rice but not from Japan, The dishes and bowls used are just plain white and food hall quality and don’t understand why have such a long queue. It does not worth to specially go there for Japanese food!

Very disorganised, went there at 10:40 and the kitchen was not ready. Was told it would open at 11 for hot food, returned at 12 amd after waiting for 20 minutes was finally told the kitchen wasn't ready again. Had the take away sushi and was quite dissapoibted with the quality.

Authentic Japanese foods, which you just can't fault. The price has gone up (e.g. Sashimi special went up to £15 from £10), but it's still much better than other Japanese eateries in the area. The service can be slow, which is the only negative for this place.

Amazing food and so popular. Great value authentic Japanese food. The sushi is amazing! The restaurant is upstairs but there is a lift for people with mobility issues. Staff are friendly and the restaurant is clean and welcoming with takeaway available. Highly recommend.

I love the food. Owner makes sure that the seafood's are always fresh. A friendly budget meal. 100 over 100! Must try! :)

Got to the restaurant before closing time and were met with a queue, by the time we got to the front of the queue - we were told they weren’t taking any more customers, which was frustrating. We picked up a takeaway platter, which was well priced (£25) and quality of the sushi was really good for the price. Would definitely revisit to try the full menu!

Excellent food, good price. No need to go to the big sushi franchises this place is far better. I only which they delivered and do dinner, maybe a second location?

Super Excellent 5 star foods and service and price!! Custermers understand how busy eat nice foods then quick pay look after waiting queue other Custermers. I love ❤ this restaurant so warm like a Home. Best japanese restaurant in UK.

Great sushi and a lovely seat where we could watch it being prepared. So nice to see the open kitchen. Grandpa certainly knows his stuff. We love it there!

Watford's hidden gem. Authentic Japanese food (strongly recommend the Sashimi Set or the special of the chef (photo), reasonably priced with high quality ingredients and outstanding service (love the staff!). A must go when in Watford.

Watford's hidden gem. Authentic Japanese food (strongly recommend the Sashimi Set or the special of the chef (photo), reasonably priced with high quality ingredients and outstanding service (love the staff!). A must go when in Watford.

This is brilliant food and a price that’s can’t be beaten! I had the Sashimi set for £15. My wife had the Katsu salmon - “the best katsu I’ve ever had”.

I'm very happy day！Because ate beautiful vegetables curry & seafood ramen taste ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐and beautiful Japanese chef and Taiwanese staff are so nice！and so kind price!!😳I'm almost😥 Thank you so much for my beautiful day！😍

Went there for solo lunch. Had the dine-in experience. It was probably one of the best Japanese food that I’ve ever had in the area. The service was great, staff were friendly and happy to assist. It was during lunch time rush hour and they were preparing lots of takeaway orders, yet they were very attentive with me. Had some sashimi platter and the katsu curry. Portion was above average for the price. The fish tasted fresh and good amount. The curry tasted just like home-cooking, its their family recipe. Don’t expect your bog standard golden curry ready made curry mix type of affair. Highly recommend, would definitely come again.

Unforgettable, street food Japanise restaurant.

Superb lunchtime treat for friends and family. As tasty as ever. Not busy and easily got seated. The takeaway menu was better than ever and not only did we have a nice eat in meal, but I was able to take one home for my husband to enjoy too.

If you're looking for authentic Japanese food look no further, this restaurant never fails to disappoint me and always has me leaving with a big satisfied smile on my face! I have always recommended this restaurant as the quality of the food is to die for and you can't complain about how good value it is. The seafood ramen and sushi selection is exquisite!

Took my 10 year old son here for lunch. Very basic setting but food is excellent. Staff are also very friendly and knowledgeable. I will recommend and visit again very soon.

Lovely as always. Fast, fresh & friendly. Very covid aware with screens everywhere. No germs here, I felt safe and confident while enjoying lunch

I've been going here with my family for years and nothing can beat their food and service. Highly recommended to eat here. The staff are polite and are amazing, they make every visit worth every penny. Thank you to the staff for working hard for...

Excellent food and friendly staff. My favourite place in Watford.

Best of the best food tempura don and delicious sushi really sad they dont have delivery and short time open .

Some of the best food I've eaten anywhere. Tempura Don is legendary.

Great food. Long wait due to staff absences. The waiting staff work very hard. The owner can get stressed and allows his frustrations to show to customers on occasions, which is a shame. The food, however, is exceptional and you’ll need to go a long...

Great atmosphere, lovely staff, and authentic Japanese food. Highly recommended. Make sure you have cash on you

Fabulous as ever. Great quality, fresh, the best in town! Only downside is if you have to wait outside when the restaurant is busy. It can be cold in the winter and the council didn’t seem to think issues like this through when redesigning the...

A great place to go for lunch with friends. Always clean and freshly prepared. They offer a small menu of great quality food at reasonable prices. There is also a takeaway option should you wish to take some food home for later, something my husband...

Authentic, artisan and agreeable Pork scallop with a Katsu sauce Tempting tempura. Order anything on the menu.... It’s marvelous Basic decoration but the aesthetics of the food is enough to pander to the eyes. Service quick and unflappably professional. Stunning value for money, my Third...

Amazing asian food place, always fresh food and reasonable prices. Please make up longer working hours :)))

Have been eating at this restaurant ever since it was located in the old Watford market. Consistently top quality fresh fish ingredients beautifully presented. Yes, the decor and tables are basic but it's all about the food. Great value for money. There is a hustle...

This place is so bad . I wait for at least 3 hours and it still hasn’t served my food. TERRIBLE I DO NOT RECOMMEND

I have been buying takeaway platters from this restaurant for a couple of years now and always enjoyed the high quality of those products but recently I have begun going to enjoy a Saturday lunch in the restaurant. ACCESS - I use a wheelchair and...

Comfortably my favourite restaurant in Watford. I normally go for the tempura and one of the sushi platters. I’ve not found anywhere that serves Japanese food this good and at such reasonable prices. Service was quick even though it was busy and it has a...

Saw the review and decided to give it a try. There was a little bit of a wait to get a table, which is always a good sign. Turn around is pretty quick as people tend to eat and go. Saying that there was a...

If you want to taste a real Japanese Sushi in Watford this is the case. Located in Market Street. Quality and price in a good balance.

Visited on a recommendation with my two daughters rather than the usual chain we would go to for Sushi. So glad we did! The food was fresher, the staff friendlier and overall much better value than our usual place. It’s not plush or ritzy but...

Popped in finally for a quick lunch. Love the open kitchen. Amazing sushi, so fresh and tasty. The salmon was fabulous. Katsu curry was knockout! Amazing service and so quick! The price is crazy and the quality outstanding compared to the takeaway chains. Can recommend...

I was thoroughly impressed by this sushi restaurant. We ordered a sashimi set and an nigiri set as well as some other bits and bobs. It was delicious, fresh, and delivered with a smile. Absolutely worth the visit.

Very good quality sushi and Japanese food. It does get very busy and can sometimes have a queue. The fish is fresh and service is super friendly.

Piccolo locale nel mercato di watford. Una scoperta! Qualità eccezionale a prezzi a dir poco onesti. Da non perdere. Prepararsi alla coda per entrare.

Just a trip into Watford Town with my 13 year old boy.

All the sushi is amazing value, I had prawn katsu roll and two portions of the tuna roll as it was only 2.50 for 6 pieces, there is a nice amount of tuna in each roll and it’s so fresh! Recommend this 100%

Amazingly nice and cheap. Me and my wife love this place. Really enjoyed the Sashima set today and the Tempura was excellent as always!

Tucked away in the New Market, it feels like a secret destination. It's such a shame so many people know about it as it can get quite busy. If you can't get a table it's worth the wait, or opt to take-away.

Was taken here for a business lunch, from the outside it doesn't look all that...., but there was a queue of Japanese people waiting for their lunch...which must be a good sign...

Amazing food and amazing prize. The only problem I would say is the opening times... You need to go early if you want to find it open! I wish it would be opened all day.

Went there in the off chance and discovered this gem at Watford New Market. I’m so glad I did because the food was amazing including the tempura for starters and Japanese curry. Service was excellent and price was affordable. Yes I would go back again and again and try everything from the menu!

The freshest, most beautiful salmon I’ve ever had in my entire life. Tender and fresh to the point it was falling apart as you picked it up. Recommend the fatty salmon nigiri!

Been a good few of times for a lunchtime takeaway . Makes you realize that sushi from the big chains is not a patch on somewhere that makes it fresh while you wait. The tempura from here is amazing.

I am a big fan of Japanese food and I am not into nicely packaged factory made sushi.

This has got to be the best kept secret in London/Greater London! Amazing authentic sushi and not very expensive too! The sushi is better than any that you find in the refined sushi restaurants in the WestEnd! It's no surprise that the chef is the previous Harrods Sushi chef! However, don't be expecting a five star ambient. This is tiny establishment, cafe style above a bridge by Watford Market. However, the sushi more than makes up for it! It's exquisite! I'll rather have it this way than a smart restaurant with crap food!

Whenever I'm craving for a good sushi but don't have enough time to travel to London, I just go to this place and enjoy their excellent sushi. The way how they prepare the sushi rice is just prefect. It reminds me of the sushi back home in Japan. This place gets super busy during lunch time but the staff are very helpful.

This place is amazing sushi and such good value for money.

Had the chicken ramen, pork ramen and sashimi set for lunch. Came in at around 11.30am on a Saturday and had a seat straightaway. Could see the place was getting busier. The ramens were ok, the pork was a bit tough and not too much flavour with the soy soup based. The sashimi set however was really good in terms of taste and freshness and it's also very good value for £10 with a variety of items. When we were paying, we saw the takeaway sushis at the counter, they were also very good value. Will definitely return again to try their curry, tempura dishes and sushi.

Very rude staff especially the owner and his wife! says very little for Japanese good manners and courtesy... Here non existent..

I love eating here. Fantastic food, authentic tasting and very reasonably priced. Although be sure to arrive early for lunch as later on they often sell out

Always excellent, I have to go every week

We visited this sushi place last Wednesday for lunch. The sushi was so fresh. I will definitely recommend this place if you would like amazing sushi and sashimi.

Mi novia ha estado alabando a este lugar que desde que conoció y finalmente conseguimos ir.

Absolutely great. Friendly service, fresh and tasty food. Loved everything that we ordered. Surprisingly good value for money, we will definitely be back again!

This is my go to place in Watford. The prices, service, and food are always perfect. I usually order takeaway and get my food in less than 5 minutes. The staff is very friendly and helpful when it comes to recommendations.

Had a great lunch here! Everything was perfect. Will definitely be coming back very soon. Perfect place to have sushi

Assolutamente d'accordo con la maggior parte delle recensioni, pesce fresco e buonissimo, il piatto che mi aspettavo. Soddisfatta la voglia di sushi al 100%.

The food is great; fresh and authentic Japanese sushi tempura etc, as is the service. The only complaints I can find is that it's difficult to get in. It is small and has limited opening opening hours.

I was amazed by the price! Cheap! Sushi rice was nicely made and slightly warm. It's just right fluffiness in mouth. Assorted sushi platter at under £10 then it's very hardly to find the rice and quality fish at all Japanese restaurants in the city.

Really good firm fresh fish prepared and served by experts. Have only eaten the sushi here as it's too good not to have every time.

It seems that is a tiny Sushi Bar when we see it from outside, but instantly we realised it is a comfortable size when we came in. The restaurant can take about 30 people total, but at least another 20 people can be seated outside the restaurant if in the summer. We ordered a Sashimi Set and Tempura, plus Ramen with Seafood in miso soup, soy sauce and Ramen with Chicken separately. All dishes are delicious in particularly the Sashimi, so fress, except the soy sauce, which is too salty.

visited accidentally this small causal Lunch as we are fond of Japanese foods, was great surprise, the food are amazing, I may say best Japanese foods ever found in London, freshly prepared delicious sushi and sashimi and tembora, Prwons and vegetarians could not be more perfect as we had it in Tokyo,could not believe it when we the bill, amazing value for money,

Amazing sushi for lunch on Saturday - this little restaurant is not imposing, basic table and chairs, but the food is totally amazing and freshly made to order. Went here for lunch with my husband and was overwhelmed with the choice available on the menu. All the food was presented really nice on the plate, we had two different sushi dishes plus mixed tempura along with hot Japanese Green Tea. Very light, filling and fresh with wonderful fast service. Recommend anyone to try this place, a real little gem, one we will be going to again.

Had lunch here today and haven't been here for a long time and was not disappointed. Had a assortment of sushi and it tasted divine. Fresh and flavoursome and so tasty the best I've had for a long time. Beautifully presented and also had a side dish of mixed tempura vegetables which were exquisite and very very tasty and nice and crispy. To drink had green tea and all in all was a lovely lunch will be back again soon maybe next week. Thanks guys you come highly recommended again and again

Have been meaning to find Sushi No Mai for a while, and the trek into Watford at lunchtime rewarded us. Upstairs in the temporary home of the market is a café canteen serving a good selection of Japanese food. Despite it being busy we were seated within a minute or so, and our orders arrived within a few of minutes of placing our order. We had a set plate of Sushi, a Beef curry and a pork Ramen Soup. It was all freshly prepared and beautifully presented. The Ramen noodles were possibly a little salty for my friends palette but we had ordered the soup with Soy, so that might have been our mistake.Having been to Japan were were impressed with the quality of food - possibly not as good as what you would get served back in street food cafe /canteen in Japan, but comparable to anything you can get in London at a sensible price point. For an establishment outside of a major city this probably is as good as it gets, and deserves its excellent rating for quality and service. I took some pictures of the menu and have added them to the photos of the establishment on TripAdvisor.

The new Watford market is hidden away towards the end of the High Street.... but well worth the walk to sample this wonderful restaurant.It is small, so be prepared to queue. Once in, you will be amazed by authentic Japanese food of the very highest quality - at very affordable prices.The Today's sashimi platter at £10 is stunning! Salmon, Tuna, fatty salmon, scallop, shrimp, mackerel, sea bass, octopus and more. The tempura are superb, as is the katsu. Be careful with the wasabi: a light swipe will delight; too much and you will a full frontal lobe hammer-blow!We would eat there every day.