Tenshi in Islington

Japanese hidden gem! Proper authentic Japanese food, really delicious and very quick to come out. Excellent customer service, all staff lovely and welcoming. Highly recommended!

Delicious food and very reasonable prices. The staff are lovely and the atmosphere was great

I love this place, it’s has such a fantastic atmosphere and I really like that there’s a sense you could be tucked away in a small restaurant in Tokyo instead of Angel! Great for all dietary needs and really attentive staff. Great value for money and a firm favourite amongst all the faceless chain restaurants in Angel. 100% would recommend for a date, group or solo.

Excellent restaurant best Japanese food in Angel

It's complicated to explain, but I really love this place. Ok, so it wasn't complicated at all....

Very good and very friendly staff, I am going to go back with my wife that loves matcha and derivates. Loved it. Thank you

Tenshi is hands down my favorite Japanese izakaya in London. This restaurant has been around for 15 years, and it’s truly outstanding. The sashimi is fresh and delicious, while the takoyaki and okonomiyaki are as authentic as it gets. The decor has a traditional Japanese vibe, making it feel like you’re dining in a cozy izakaya on the streets of Japan. The service is exceptional as well. I’ll definitely be returning with friends again soon.

Curtomer service very bad ,when them see you,they just ignore u ,VERY DISAPPOINTED!!

Food was quite poor sadly, all the fried dishes were rubbery and over fried. The udon was tasteless.

A cozy and welcoming Japanese restaurant serving an extensive range of izakaya-style dishes in London. The small plates were reasonably priced, but the udon/ramen seemed a bit expensive. The quality of the food varied, but I was most impressed by the gyoza and chicken wings. Overall, decent food with good service, and the place closes quite late as well.

I ordered a home delivery from here this evening, and after 90 minutes the food had not left the restaurant. I understand that this was partly due to the lateness of the Deliveroo driver. It was a disappointing, however, that when I called the restaurant, the person I spoke to would accept no responsibility whatsoever for how long the food was taking. She seemed determined not to use the word sorry. It would have cost nothing.

Overpriced, low quality food. Had a teriyaki pork belly that was tiny and bad, got my food after people who ordered after me, small plates

Stumbling upon this Japanese gem in Angel was a delightful surprise. The restaurant boasts a charming, minimalist interior that creates a cozy ambiance. The service was impeccable, and the food was simply extraordinary. The octopus Takoyaki and the pork Tonoeiyaki were standout dishes. We can't wait to return to savor more of their culinary delights!

That is the worse restaurant I ever had in London. The food was terrible. The staff are unprofessional and unfriendly. 90mins limit time, and wait for 30 mins to order when there are not fully table. The sit is uncomfortable.

Definitely come here to drink with delicious and authentic Japanese food! I recommend to order osakayaki with high ball.

Best Japanese restaurant in London. One of my favourite restaurants. They have amazing drinks, I love Takayuki and sushi, salmon sashimi. I can’t wait to visit again.

My friend and I both went for the lunchtime bento boxes - which for the price gives you plenty of food: a nice mixture of salad, edamame, rice, a gyoza and a protein. I chose the karaage, which had a great crisp on the outside but was tender and juicy inside. Each bento also came with a complimentary miso soup. The restaurant's interior was very pretty, giving a nice, cosy ambiance - would visit again!

Food was reasonable but service was not good and we were given another tables drinks but we didn't spot it on our bill until we got home. So morale of this review is always check your bill!

Delicious food and wonderful service

I really enjoyed my dining experience at Tenshi. The wait staff are friendly and welcoming and I know they were a bit overwhelmed all of a sudden with customers and they still kept their professionalism and ensured they are aware of the customers are waiting and managing the situation as well as they could. Food wise, a great selection to choose from and some interesting and unusual dishes as well. Which sparked my curiosity to try and I was happy I made that choice. The decoration and seating definitely gave me a cosy and comfy Japanese dining vibe and I’ll return for sure. Felt the price was very reasonable and good food quality

Wide and varied lunch time deals with classic Japanese options in a very reminiscent of Japan decorated restaurant

A cosy little Japanese restaurant just off the hustle and bustle of Angel’s Upper Street. Went here for date night and while we weren’t that hungry, we couldn’t resist ordering more than we needed as the menu looked great. I had to try the Nasu Dengaku as this is one of my favourite ever dishes. It was perfect - squishy, sweet and utterly moreish. We also had the egg omelette which was a little different to how I expected it to be. The menu said pork belly but this came with something which was more like sliced pork. Still tasty, but my husband found it difficult to portion up using chopsticks. We also ordered the agedashi tofu which was tasty, and my other half ordered salmon and avocado inside out roll. The salmon portioning was generous - perhaps a little too much for me, as I quite like half salmon, half avocado in my roll, but my husband wanted it. I washed it down with a Ramune (if you’ve not tried it, do!) which wasn’t as cold as I’d have liked it to be. However, it was a really enjoyable experience and I’m keen to go back to try more of their dishes! Service was professional and prompt.

Having lived in Japan for a couple years, it is hard to meet my standards for Japanese food. This place is by far one of the best Japanese restaurants I've experienced outside of Japan. The karaage and okonomiyaki were tasty, and the service was good. Overall a very nice experience and, in my opinion, worth the price.

By far and away the best Japanese in North London, from a man who has scoured the land for Nasu Dengaku. Great service, very efficient, no nonsense. The secret is of course out, this is no longer an undiscovered gem, and the busy staff are trying their best to reckon with that fact. But the quality of food is magnificent, the atmosphere is great and it feels authentic (whatever that means). I take everyone here and everyone loves it. I'll continue to visit Tenshi until I am an old man, or until I have become a miso-glazed aubergine (whichever comes second).

All very good and fresh products I was here with my boyfriend we had the best noodles I've ever tried in London generous portions and the potato croquettes are something to absolutely try!

Every dish was delicious and I highly recommend this restaurant. My favorites are unagi Tamakiyaki and Osakiyaki. This restaurant cooks perfect eggs! The starter of cucumber is very appetizing. All the waiters are friendly and nice~A very satisfying meal!

Went on Sunday at 7pm with my partner without any prior reservation online. Called 1 hour before and they were really kind to sit us in. Benjamin was our waiter and he was incredibly knowledgeable, hospitable and helpful with any enquires. Would definitely come back with my partner just due to Benjamin’s exceptional professionalism and attentiveness. Thank you to the whole team. Food was delicious but we got carried away and ordered too many dishes but we still have our eyes on more dishes so we have an excuse to come back in this living crisis =D thank you again and I hope the young man gets a raise!

Tenshy is a delightful Japanese restaurant with a serene, minimalist decor. The friendly staff makes you feel welcome, and the menu features fresh, high-quality dishes. Each dish is beautifully presented and delicious. Tenshy also has a great selection of sake and Japanese beers. Overall, it’s a perfect spot for both Japanese cuisine enthusiasts and newcomers, offering an authentic and memorable dining experience.

I really like the drink, Yuzu sake and Yuzu Hi Ball, very good deal

To dine in this cozy Japanese izakaya is an absolute delight! The atmosphere is relaxed, the service really kind and professional. The menu offers a full trip throughout the lesser known Japanese dishes with all kinds of fish incorporated and cooked to perfection. Bonus mention for the chicken yakitori with red plum & shiso sauce and the squid okonomiyaki: sublime! Interesting selection of sake, worth exploring more than one.

I passed by this store many times and finally went in to experience it. The small store doesn't have many places. I didn't go there on the weekend without making a reservation. I quickly arranged a seat and the meal was still very lively. The few dishes in the blind spot did not make any mistakes. -Plum chazuke rice -eel. -Fried shrimp -Tonpeiyaki, this egg pancake is wrapped with pork belly and its sauce. It doesn’t smell like pork at all. Highly recommended. -Matcha ice cream The meal for two people cost less than £50, which is very cost-effective. It is a restaurant that you will want to go back to try other dishes.

Food really good and affordable. Lovely cosy atmosphere. Staff was very friendly, service was paced very well, no rushing. Highly recommend.

Dinner 04/18/24 In the Angel neighborhood you can also enjoy good cuisine and this Asian restaurant is a very good example. Located on Upper St. in an area full of different restaurants is this small place. Fast, attentive and polite service. Always with a smile. The food is delicious, nothing impressive but it complies, leaving out what is typical of the area. It offers different flavors and textures. Well executed and hot dishes. The dessert, although a little frozen, was good. The typical Japanese beer, within a price. A very good option in the area.

Had a lovely lunch with some friends visiting from abroad, small and intimate and nice little spot at the back , lovely food and really polite, welcoming and attentive staff

Came for dinner tonight - Our waiter was fantastic and gave us some good recommendations. Lovely seating, decoration and atmosphere. Food was pretty good. Our table's dishes came out at slightly different times - would have been nice for them to come all together. Plenty of choice for vegetarians. Thanks!

Affordable independent Japanese restaurant in Angel. They had choices ranging from bento to udon to sushi to curry. The average price was £25/ person. The restaurant is well decorated and the staff are friendly. Only thing was the seats were uncomfortable.

Friendly service and the food is very authentic, love the vibe here, can't wait to back to try more food and sushi !

Great experience dining here, service was lovely and food was great! Would definitely recommend checking out

Amazing food and drinks! Fairly cheap as well. Topenyaki is super yummy. Drink is only £7 for a big portion of High ball. Very nice staff - will be going again

Tempura’s really nice! I always thought it is a ramen place somehow. It is more like a cozy izakaya than just a restaurant. Love they have Japanese draft beers. Curry udon was a bit watery tho. Overall it was nice. Kimchi’s not Chinese cabbage dish by the way. Food description needs to be corrected.

The waiting staff are very attentive. Green tea is refillable free-of-charge and the bento boxes were sublime! Only one tiny suggestion for improvement is to include 20-30% more rice for the rice-lovers like myself in the bento boxes!

Food does not taste delicious, nothing special or unique about the taste of the food, Restaurant seating is generally crowded，service is relatively poor, waiters are always far away

My favourite restaurant in London! Whenever I visit the city and can't go, it's so disappointing. I love it here.

Tenshi, the Japanese restaurant, left a lasting impression with its amazing food. The sushi, especially the Philadelphia roll and spicy salmon, was exceptional, and the reasonable prices made the experience even better. The cozy, neighborhood Japanese restaurant vibes added to the charm, despite the bustling Sunday night crowd. The attentive service and friendly atmosphere made it a delightful visit. With excellent food, great beer, and an overall inviting ambiance, Tenshi is a place I would gladly recommend and revisit.

Been living here for close to a decade and only just saw this place on a TikTok video so had to come and try. It was phenomenal! Run by Japanese folks with an authentic selection of sushi, starters and main dishes. Only comment I would share would be for management to review their pricing as the food is great but I felt the vegetable/pickled starters are a bit overpriced. Saying that COME HERE, it’s really good!

Cute spot with gorgeous decor and lovely staff. Really extensive menu with classics and more adventurous + traditional options, all are great.

Delicious chicken teriyaki bento box and miso soup!

Decided to stop by since the restaurant looks very nice from outside. Glad that I had delicious Okonomiyaki here

Nice meal from the specials menu. Good value.

The food didn’t taste good, tasteless, the waiting time was about an hour, tiny portions, and the table was wobbly. All too well, I left hungry and annoyed, never going back.

Ordered chicken teriyaki, £12.95, then asked if I want rice with that....extra ££. For £12.95 for just the chicken you'd expect a decent sized portion. Nope, must have been at most 1 chicken breast chopped up, which took up only half the (small) plate, other half filled with salad leaves. Left hungry.

Lower Upper Street mainly consists of the same old boring chain restaurants that you find everywhere, so looking for a restaurant not too far from Angel station, I was delighted to find Tenshi. The stand-out dish for me was the miso-aubergine and my partner and I debated whether this was as good as the one that Eat Tokyo do. All our food was good and we washed it down with a couple of carafes of their house hot sake. I'll certainly come again. BTW, Tenshi is Japanese for Angel.

Very nice and cozy izakaya with excellent food. The takoyaki in particular is really good.

Portions were okay for the price but definitely not worth it, the service was a mess, not all of your food came on time and waited more than 15+ for the first food to arrive and another 15 mins for the second food

Genuinely disappointed by the poor quality of Japanese food here. It’s sad that this type of restaurant attracts customers in Europe. このレストランを避ける

Step into Tenshi and be ready to immerse yourself in an authentic Japanese pub experience. The name Tenshi translates to 'Angel' in Japanese, and this family-run restaurant has indeed woven a little piece of culinary heaven since 2009 in Islington. Recently, they've introduced an Izakaya-style menu, capturing the essence of Japanese pub culture where shared small plates complement drinks. I had the pleasure of trying their diverse array of dishes: Japanese rice Lager, Ebi Gyoza, Tuna, and Yellowtail Sashimi, Takoyaki, Salmon Teriyaki, Yakisoba with prawns and squid, and delightful Dorayaki, one with chocolate and the other with red beans. Each dish was a symphony of flavors, showcasing the authenticity of Japanese cuisine right in the heart of London. What truly sets Tenshi apart is not just the delectable food, but also the welcoming atmosphere. The family's warmth and kindness radiate through the attentive service, making the dining experience truly memorable. Tenshi has successfully brought the vibrant Izakaya culture to London, making it a must-visit spot for those seeking an exquisite Japanese dining experience.

Great for a nice dinner, the drinks were the best part - I highly recommend the highballs!

A go to local spot for me. Great cooked Japanese food, as well as good sushi.

Food and price - Overpriced food with terrible quality if you’ve been to a better Japanese restaurant in London. Service & atmosphere - The kitchen is obviously on the second floor and some staff had to take out the trash in front of us during open hours.

Delicious, different, fresh, flavoursome. The service is amazing, quite lovely staff

Had a lovely time at Tenshi and the food was amazing. So so tasty and good value for the price. Was very impressed

Very disappointing experience. We waited 50 minutes for the food to arrive, small portions. The chicken in the udon soup looked like pink plastic. Could not be eaten. The okonomiyaki was small and no bonito flakes on top. The taste was average. No one ever checked on us during the entire meal and it took a while to get someone to bring the bill. I would not come here again as luckily there are plenty of authentic Japanese restaurants around before having to resort to this one.

Food took a bit too long to arrive, but highly recommend their Ebi Fry curry. Takoyaki was alright, moist in the inside and most of it is flour. Tonpei Yaki looks better than it taste, the pork inside just wasn’t seasoned. Other than that everything else was good, would revisit.

I've been coming to this restaurant for over 8 years. The food is not as amazing as it's used to be but still one of most authentic Japanese resto in Angel. If you fancy some japanese, I totally reccomended !

As a Japanese expat I really appreciate that there is a place like this! I love the food and highballs, they remind me of my favorite izakayas in Tokyo

As someone who lived in Japan for three years I can see this looks really authentic. The staff are friendly, the sake is on point and the atmosphere is lovely. Would highly recommend the takoyaki, the aubergine dish and the pork okonomiyaki.

I loved the place so so much. Authentic Japanese restaurant

This Japanese restaurant in Angel is a little gem. The staff is friendly and welcoming, and the food is incredibly tasty while remaining affordable. It's absolutely worth it and I'll definitely be back.

Food and atmosphere were good but everyone received their meals at varying times.

Average food and ended up being quite expensive. Tiny portions. Vegetarian dishes were better than fish ones. Salmon was very dry. Service is very slow and dishes for everyone came one at the time with very long waiting time in between (even appetizers) so we couldn’t all eat at the same time.

This Japanese restaurant exceeded my expectations in every way – from the delectable dishes to the impeccable service, it was an unforgettable dining experience. Highly recommended!

Food was great, but all the dishes we ordered came at different times over the space of about an hour.

Great food great service. Cannot recommend enough

Great place, great food, great service! I recommend it !!

Rare izakaya style Japanese restaurant provides home-feeling Japanese food, simple but comfortable. The taste might be slightly different on each visit, but is generally good. Good for casual lunch/dinner with friends and family. Better to reserve a table on busy nights.

The food is a bit of a hit and miss. Some of it is westernised Japanese food like sushi with mayo and the seaweed around the temaki is soggy. Some of the other food looks fine though. If you are not expecting super authentic Japanese food, it can be an enjoyable experience, just go for food that’s easier to make.

Great place! Real izakaya vibe and delicious food 🥘

Delicious and cozy Japanese izakaya, highly recommended!

Amazing food! Great value for the price. Would definitely recommend

We were surprised that this place only serves sushi on the weekends (we came on a weekday) but it was to our advantage as we got to enjoy the other things they serve on the menu! We Absolutely loved our dinner here. All the food came out hot, perfectly prepared and cooked fresh. We had the ebi fry (crispy) aubergine with miso paste (tasty) and gyoza (pan fried) to start - highly recommended. Their okonomiyaki is one of the best I’ve had. The servers are kind but it’s a busy place so at times hard to get them but when they were with us they were gracious. The place gets busy so it’s best to book ahead.

This was honestly one of the best meals out I’ve ever had! The food was excellent and staff were extremely friendly. They put in a lot of effort to make us feel welcome and got everything spot on. My only comment would be that one of the mains did take a while longer to come than the others, however this didn’t take away from our experience and we had a lovely night!

We ordered around 6 dishes for 3 of us and every single bite was gorgeous. The staff and service were excellent - they were friendly and happy to talk us through dishes we weren't familiar with, and make recommendations. Fast service. Great pricing (paid £25 each, including alcoholic drink, and we were stuffed). Clean plates all round.

Incredible Japanese Bento boxes in Angel. The salmon bento box was flavourful, filling and reasonably priced. A defo must try if in the area!

Quality of food has deteriorated over the years. Prices have increased dramatically and portions have visibly dwindled… for example the Tenshi bento used to cost £12.95 and I would leave with a happy tummy. Now it costs £17.94 with service charge and I leave the restaurant still hungry.

DO NOT COME HERE. I want to start by saying that I never usually leave reviews but this meal was so disappointing that I feel obliged to. I should have seen the warning signs when I asked the waitress what one of the dishes was like and she said “I don’t know. The menu is new as it has only been here 4 months” when 4 months should be long enough to know a dish on the menu. While the kimchi okonomiyaki was nice, it was very expensive. The vegetable tempura was not nice and took the form of a shredded vegetable pancake with no flavour. The “smashed cucumber salad” was neither smashed nor fresh nor tasty. The cut pieces of cucumber were dry as had not been marinaded in a sauce etc and the vinegar-y liquid at the bottom of the dish was so so bland. Disappointing for £5.50. We waited over an hour for sushi that never arrived with no apology. It was brought to the wrong table and these customers ate our sushi (knowing it was not their order). They were apologised too and brought another 2 rolls for free! On top of this, we were ignored and had to remind the staff that we had been waiting for our sushi. They didn’t even attempt to ask us how the meal was doing. We had to call the staff over every time. We were in a rush so politely asked if we could pay and have the food be put in takeaway boxes. This simple task took over half an hour and one of the sushi rolls never arrived so we (politely) asked for a refund for that roll. We still paid the £5 “optional” service charge which could not be removed from the bill and no compensation for this awful experience here was offered. Overall the total came to just under £50 and for what? Some disappointing fried vegetables and bland cucumber! Will not be coming to this restaurant again. There are plenty of other delicious looking sushi spots in the area and it was a mistake for us to have chosen this place. I hope that the customer service team reach out and try to resolve this issue as our first impression of this place is not a pleasant one

I love this restaurant, the food is good and reasonably priced, and they do okonomiyaki (my favourite food!). The menu looks like it’s been fairly recently updated with more small sharing plates, there’s a big selection. Good selection of drinks with some great sake and umeshu. It can get busy so it’s good to book ahead to be sure of getting a table.

Real Authentic Japanese Izakaya. I would really like to try their Agedashi tofu but it was sold out. We had the best Tebasaki (手羽先) in London so far and it's even better than the one I tried in Osaka/Kanazawa. DEFINITELY GONNA COME AGAIN.

Just ordinary, food is quite basic tbh. Staff is nice.

Nice find. Welcoming, friendly, good menu choice and tasty food. Recommend trying if on the area. We had a selection of small dishes.

Nice little japanese restaurant. Had a few dishes not seen in other Japanese restaurants. A little cramp due to the size and how busy it was. Staff was helpful and polite.

Very nice authentic food,recommended!

Superb food and service. Highly recommended.

Utterly horrible. A total rip off. Nothing “authentic” about it. Tiny dishes poorly prepared. Very slow service. Horrible flavours. Nothing is fresh. Avoid.

When everyone is ordering the same thing, and you order something different....then you end up with what happened to us. Waited ages for bland food. Gyoza about the same as the frozen ones you buy in the supermarket. Soups ok.

Was really happy with our visit to tenshi, the staff were very friendly and always had a smile. We ordered the Vegetable okonomiyaki, pumpkin croquettes, chicken wings and a ebi katsu kurry. The food was amazing and we will be coming back very soon to try some more delicious food!

Nice atmosphere, excellent food and very good service. I rarely write reviews but this place is worth it! It is the best sushi I have ever tried in London at a reasonable price.

Chicken karaage was delicious. Price is reasonable. Portion was big. Will definitely come again next time.

In the past two months, we have dined at Tenshi twice. While the quality of the food is satisfactory, it's not extraordinary. During our recent visit, I ordered the spicy udon with extra pork. Although it was decent, the broth lacked flavor. Similarly, my wife tried the chicken katsu with salad, which was also mediocre. However, we did enjoy the veg gyoza and edamame appetizers. The restaurant's ambiance is pleasant, and the decor reminded me of traditional Japanese diners from my previous trip to Japan. However, they no longer have an open kitchen in the main hall, which was evident in some old pictures we saw. Our bill came to around £30 per person, including two starters, two main dishes, and two beers, with service charge included.

Good food, fast service, but very popular so reserve ahead

ウナギ弁は美味しかったです！Cosy and quiet, great food and service was friendly. A great find and recommend stopping by!