Uchi in Hackney

I don’t understand the other reviews. The food was unbelievable. The aubergine was silky and succulent. The miso soup was a delight. The sushi was layered and textured and delicious. Would recommend this. Service was great! 10/10

Excellent and out of the ordinary Japanese restaurant in Clapton, east London. Well worth the trek from central London if you’re not local. The soft shell crab and seaweed salad were amazing. Be sure to check out the specials - the shiso daikon black rice roll was delicious - never seen or tasted anything like that before. There’s plenty for vegetarians, and the meat eaters in my group were happy too. They have some great saki - ask them to explain the various options to you. The find of the year - will definitely be going back!

I don't understand the bad reviews! I came here last year after a trip to Japan its an absolute GEM I was about to book to go back and thought I'd leave a review. The food was beyond delish and the cocktails were stunning :)) highly recomend! Lovely incense and music too

It’s been years since I’ve been to Uchi, but I remember it having an authentically Japanese feel and distinctive interiors. Having now returned after a visit to Japan, I am pleased to say my memory serves me correctly. This is a thoughtfully designed restaurant with a different feel to others in London, with beautiful and dinky crockery for the delicious morsels you will eat here. Great sake varieties are available with diminutive glasses to sup from, just as sake should be served. We basically ordered one of everything from the menu to try as much as possible. Highlights were the sushi, fabulously textured, fresh and full of flavour, as well as the karaage chicken (so tender) and chicken yakatori. I found the rice balls a bit bland and felt they could do with some internal seasoning regardless of the condiment they are served with. I personally enjoyed the Japanese ice cream selection (particularly the black sesame one), though perhaps a couple of these would not have been sweet enough for others (though they were perfect for me). Service was friendly and good; I also liked the cool-looking uniform staff don. Overall, a great visit and I will be back soon. 有り難う御座います

I visited with my girlfriend on NYE after finding out they were open. We love this place, the food is always incredible with so much variety. The Miso Aubergine is worth a visit alone. Staff were attentive and friendly. Looking forward to visiting in the new year already.

The service was, in a word, bizarre. Felt like we had to fight for someone to take our order, as the wait stuff literally stared at the wall sometimes. We were sat there for about 40mins and they hadn't even given us any drinks. The food then came before the drinks. Also, very overpriced.

The staff had forgotten to put my reservation on the system (made well in advance), had difficulty with my name and repeatedly asked for confirmation the booking had been made (it had - I showed them the emails repeatedly). Rather than apologising and welcoming us, the staff seemed put out. It was very unprofessional. I don't think I've been made to feel so unwelcome as a paying customer with a booking in any other restaurant in London... I chose to leave and had dinner at AUN in Stoke Newington Church street instead, which had excellent Japanese food with warm and friendly staff. Uchi on the other hand... I won't try it again.

If you are lucky enough to have checked tripadvisor before booking (I had not) then see this as a warning!! DO NOT GO! To be fair to the chefs the food was delicious however the service- all night we were fighting to get the servers attention, when we managed to finally order; the first item to arrive at the table was a salad, with no sign of the starter & the rest of our food came after AN HOUR! And this was only due to my consistent checking in countless times. At the end when I went to complain about the service the manager refused to speak to me with one of the servers claiming “it will only irritate him”. Because god forbid the man has to do his job. I paid begrudgingly in order to just end the ordeal as soon as possible however little did I know it wasn’t over yet!! I went to the toilet before we left which has a door to the kitchen, where to my disbelief I could hear the infamous mute manager talk about me suggesting I was a “chancer” that “was looking for a discount as soon as (I) walked into the place”. Beyond appalling service for the premium prices. You have been warned.

We ordered: senbei, hijiki salad, robata, karaage, tempura, rice, and the yuzu cheese cake The good: - The restaurant's interior is very chic, best described as industrial wabi-sabi - The tableware is authentically Japanese and very pretty - A lot of bland battered chicken gets passed off as Japanese karaage by other restaurants, but they serve the real deal here - succulent, well marinaded, crispy light batter - The tempura was perfect, best I've had outside of Japan - Presentation of the food was excellent, aesthetically attractive - I've seen a lot of complaints about the service from other reviewers, but the service we received today was good (although this may have been because we were among the first in the restaurant on a Thursday). The bad: - they haven't updated their menus on their website, so when we got there, everything was about a third more expensive. Our bill came to £75 and we ordered just one beer. - If you want to sit in the nice seated area, you need to reserve, otherwise, you're stuck in the area with the deeply uncomfortable three legged stools (please buy some cushions) - The robata lacked that crispy, smokey char you expect of skewered meat - The rice was atrocious - It was served a tiny pot and was incredibly dry and slightly on the hard side. It was very disappointing to have a Japanese restaurant get such a fundamental element of Japanese cuisine so wrong. - The cheesecake was by far the worst part of the meal - The yuzu sauce was decent, but it was a sad "deconstructed" cheesecake ie. an ice cream scoop of cream cheese on a bed of digestive biscuit crumbs, and it was served to me half melted/half still frozen. Really no excuse for sending out a half defrosted piece of cheesecake that you charge customers almost a tenner for. The confusing: Senbei are Japanese rice crackers. What they call "senbei" actually turned out to be mini yakionigiri (they weren't bad, but that's not senbei) Summary: The aesthetics of this restaurant, from the décor to the food, are authentically Japanese and modern. Refinement without being (too) pretentious is what this restaurant aspires to, and for that reason, this isn't the kind of place you would go to for a hearty, satisfying meal with generous portions for a reasonable price. Considering attention to detail is this restaurant's biggest selling point, the food was too hit and miss for the price.

This restaurant is local to us; honestly, I don't know why we don't go more often. Wonderful, imaginative modern Japanese cuisine in fantastic surroundings. The decor is really cosy - comfy seats and the lovely low-level tables where you forego your shoes for (provided) slippers. Delicious sushi and sashimi, freshly prepared. The black cod, broccoli tempura sushi and red prawns were stand-out dishes in an extensive range of options: good, reasonably priced wines and a delicious chocolate and macha dessert to finish. Friendly, responsive service. This restaurant isn't the cheapest but not terrifically pricey either. My teenagers eat a lot, and we had a mix of sushi, sashimi, hot dishes, sides and dessert. We were all very full! The food was less than £200 (with service) so in my view, Uchi represents good value for a pretty special meal for the three of us. It's a 'once in a while' treat - not every week or month - and on that basis, not expensive. Highly recommend.

Top class authentic Japanese food in a beautifully modern setting, went on a warm day with the windows fully open so it was nice and airy. The tuna crunch is a winner. Not sure what all the bad reviews are about as we had lovely and quick service, don't be put off!

Oh wow. The service here was wild, so completely underwhelming. Wrong dishes were delivered to us left right and centre, we didn't know what was being put in front of us and then the starter we'd given up on, arrived at the end. When we gave feedback because the experience had been so odd - just blank faces. We didn't pay the service charge! But no apologies or explanation. Left frustrated and we wouldn't go back. Truly a shame because the sushi was spectacular.

Arrived and waiting 35 minutes until a drink was bought to the table. I had to chase literally every 10 minutes. When the drinks arrived I had got a whole huge bottle of saki which was madness and not what I ordered but by then I accepted it fearing never to be served again. The first course of food then came out one hour ten minutes after arrival. By then we were furious and starving. In the end we walked out. Literally the worst service I’ve ever had in London. No idea how on earth it could be that bad. It’s a shame the food is excellent but you’ll regret it by going there.

Arrived and told to sit out the back, and as we stalled no knowing where to go the waiter decided to show us the table. Then it took a dive downwards 40 mins until a drink arrived at the table. i letrally had to go and walk and pick it up myself. Then 1 hour for an entree, followed by 1.5 hours for the next course. We walked out. It was appalling. Never never again. Such a shame. Avoid or it will ruin our evening.

I have been at Uchi several times and I will go back for sure. Food is fresh, tasty and nicely presented. The place is really nice, I like all the materials and finishes. Staff could be a bit more organised or 'professional', but nothing bad to mention.

If you’re interested in fairly decent Japanese food and an ordering system that compares to dry riding sandpaper then visit this place. Waiting 24 minutes for your first drinks whilst the staff fumble around with ridiculous paper ordering slips delivers the sort of uncomfortable rage that heavily detracts from the enjoyment of the food. This place could be good if the service wasn’t implemented by people who wear Skechers on purpose.

We were taken here as a treat by our family and it was bizarre. My daughter had emailed twice (apparently the way to book) but had not heard back. She phoned on the off chance and was told to email. When she said she had,...

I have been twice, and both times the food has been yum (and although a little pricey, not overpriced for the quality), but the service has been shockingly bad. The seating in the restaurant is mixed, some tables are really nice, with cool japanese decor,...

We arrived at 8pm, on time for our booking, were sat and explained the menu, all rather rapidly. After noting down our food & drinks choices, a waitress picked the order up to place it and brought it back so we could add to it...

exploiting and abusing children working there on weekends till late; owner screaming at children for bad service in front of customers; one of them runs away and possibly start crying

I love this place. The service is amazing, the people are very nice and the food is delicious. Especially the crunchy tuna sushi! The restaurant itself is nice and cosy with an open kitchen. Everything is nice and clean. It’s just amazing.

There are tables everywhere in this joint, heck I think I even saw a table for 2 in the toilet corridor. They’re cramming people in but the kitchen is obviously tiny and hence service is abysmal. We waited 45 mins at 9.45 on a sat...

I booked a table here for 11 for my birthday on a Friday eve and it was spectacular. The food was amazing, set meal for £35 per head and there was so much for each person, and the quality was superb. Every bite was amazing....

The food was nice but very expensive. The decor was beautiful but the seats very uncomfortable. Booking was a pain, they never confirmed when I changed the time. Service was aloof at best rude at worst. Specials weren’t explained, we were rushed despite the restaurant...

Hated the service. So bad. Food not much better, poor quality, very very very expensive. Booked a table for a birthday, the couldn't find the reservation made online, eventually did, moved us twice, next to the constantly opening door. Has arranged a dessert/candle for the...

I had been here a few times before and liven in London - the food is good - but the service is beyond terrible. We booked a table for 8pm and by 8:45pm we still hadn’t received tap water. We finally got some drinks at...

we book at table in uchi after we saw an amazing japanese area in a friend instagram,but everthing went downhill from there,as soon we arrived they informed us the aea as closed and try to push us to eat in an improvised table at the...

The food is pretty delicious here, and that is the main point of a restaurant. it does make up for the things that are not so great but... Be prepared to share a table, and do not hope that the entitled hipsters of Hackney won’t...

There was 11 of us attending for a friends Birthday, we were very excited about the food as the restaurant was so nice (minus the part of table that kept falling off in my lap). We ordered our drinks which came about 20 minutes later,...

The fish was very fresh and sushi was very good for the rest I wasn’t madly impressed the service for a starter was poor the portion are small for example the salmon avocado rolls on my picture were £18 for 6 pieces

The food here is brilliant, especially the Kara age. Portions are small but the quality is very high. Service is a bit strange, dishes come at random.

The choices are limited, but there is enough variety for a decent selection. The pork belly, Tuna Sushi and Fried Chicken were very especially tasty. The portions are small for the price - generally, 3 servings per dish, except the fried chicken. But the quality...

The food quality is amazing, sushi are excellent so much better than places like sexy fish, staff is super friendly, venue calm/relaxing atmosphere (nice music, not loud),so clearly not a party atmosphere but relaxing and so so good!

The worst run ‘restaurant’ I’ve ever visited, not just in London but worldwide. No kidding. 1. 2½ hours into meal and still on starters 2. Staff who would play ‘deaf’ and ‘blind’ when trying to get their attention, resorted to walking over to the ‘huddle’...

Our last attempt to visit this restaurant was one of the most disappointing I have ever had at any establishment in London. We had reserved a table for 8.30pm, for four people. We duly arrived at 8.32pm, to be told first that we were too...

Having read a few reviews saying service was poor was, we turned up expecting great food but bad service, but instead were welcomed by a lovely diverse and eager to please team who bought out our dishes at perfectly timed intervals, were attentive, sweet and...

Food was tasty but I was expecting a lot more after it had come so reccomended. Service was bad. You could see the staff arguing in the corner most of the night and we didn't get any attention most of the night. No card machine...

There's no exaggeration in the title what so ever as this really was one of my worst food experience in London. I don't normally leave bad reviews on restaurants but this experience really just makes me feel quite disgusted. (Sorry this is kinda long, cos...

Went with friends and kids for early dinner on a Saturday evening and we were really impressed! Fantastic food - not a huge menu but everything we had was excellent. Sushi, yakatori, karage chicken, all excellent. Plus some really imaginative vegetarian sushi, far better than...

This is our second time here, we came back for the tuna crunch hoping that the bad service we received the first time was a once-off. For the purposes of this review I'll combine our two experiences into one. Booking: It took 9 emails to...

The sushi is delicious and the chicken flavours are amazing I had to share my experiance with my friend before they arrived and was happy that we have a great time. Great spot, nice atmosphere good service. Two thumbs up

I was there with my friends . we all really enjoyed there . The Flavour taste and service all were great .

My husband and I came here and were blown away by how disappointing it was. At first it looks stunning, but rapidly it feels like they've designed it to make you feel awkward, or that the designer has great taste, but no understanding of how...

We were introduced to this simply beautiful place by our friend. Food is fresh and just so delicious; had the best chicken karage, good sashimi, high grade sake, and ice cold beer on tap (served in frozen glass)! There are good vegetarian options as well....

A quiet, original and very interesting Japanese restaurant in Clapton. The menu is short, but if you ask you will learn specials of the day worth tasting. Price is fair. Sake, said my friends who know it, was average.

Calm and cool restaurant. Staff incredibly gentle and polite. Great service too. Food is delicious. Menu quite simple, but always interesting. Sushi always fresh I always try something different and never disappointed.

Attentive service, the fish was really very good. Sushi and tempura were wonderful. Would very highly recommend to anybody.

Read some of the reviews here about the service and food, then take a look at this receipt... Ideal if you're dieting, though!

Tucked away in Hackney is this amazing little Japanese place. Excellent quality, minimal style dishes with just enough to fill up on. The decor is super modern minimal stylish Japanese with long bar style seating, low Japanese tables and Western style trestles with stools. Has...

I've never seen such a terrible service, the place is very unorganised. Staff is very unfriendly and lazy. It's a shame as the food is good. Staff denim uniforms are very cool and trendy.

Fantastic food and interior + excellent service, perfect for a relaxed weekend dinner! Very impressed with this place.

More than 45 minutes wait only to order. 14£ for a 2 piece plate of average quality nigiri(!) 2 hours to finally get our sashimi platter. Our ICE green tea was actually a HOT green tea.. nice discovery especially with 30 degree temperature and no...

- First of all: impossible to get a hold of someone on the phone to book a table, then you arrive at the restaurant an all tables are miraculously booked. - they don't open for lunch, or on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, although they write on...

Having previously been here and enjoyed ourselves we decided to come again with guests this time. We booked our table over the phone,and when we arrived hence it was busy we were seated straight away,what a good start! But from then on the problems had...

Its very exciting to have a Japanese restaurant selling such wonderful food on my doorstep...and yes, it was wonderful. BUT the service just ruined it! The staff themselves were polite and well intentioned. But it was SO unorganised! All very ironic when it seemed there...

On our arrival my wife and two sons all noticed that the staff member manning the entrance seemed more interested in distractedly organising his receipts, than welcoming or even acknowledging our presence. Not an auspicious start. When seated on our rustic Flintstone-style wobbly stools (which...

It looks a cosy place but the stools are pretty uncomfortable. We were not really welcomed on arrival just pointed to a bench with stools. When I asked what the white wine was the waiter said I had to follow him to reception so he...

I'm so pleased I live near here - I'll definitely be back. Every single thing we ordered was fab - crisp tempura vegetables, delicious fresh sushi, really interesting aubergine., completely divine chicken The menu is quite small (I think we ordered nearly everything on it)...

Myself and my partner ate here for Valentines day/my birthday. Although we booked over the phone a week or so earlier they neglected to tell us that there would be a set menu for two priced at £100 and that we could not order off...

The service is awful. I ordered a take away. When the food arrived, it was missing a dish. We were told we would get a replacement straight away (we had to wait another hour). The person was unapologetic on the phone - only once i...

I wholeheartedly agree with the previous reviews - 5 stars! It was a lovely evening with very fresh and tasty sushi and the decor and atmosphere were perfect. The normal menu is limited but there are daily specials from which we ordered most of our...

Visited Japanese restaurant in west end a couple of times before and did not feel need to return .Was taken to Uchi as a guest and what a very pleasant surprise the styling was i'm told authentic .the food was very nice the staff the...

The service was perfect, the food was excellent, the atmosphere comfortable and laid back. A taste of Japan even in the design, fashion and decor. Go, order the maximum things as possible, Treat yo self... and take away the rest if necessary. Uchi Thank you,...

Does not look anything like most other japanese you might know. Small place in Clapton, Uchi is where friends want to gather around simple but so delicate and delicious plates "of Japan". Only a reduced menu of simple dishes with fresh and tasty products. The...

Been here several times now and never been disappointed. The food is amazing. Great service and ambience too for a reasonable price. My new favourite place in Hackney!

We came across this place on a walk home and ended up here for three hours. Tried most things on the menu, everything was was delicious we couldn't stop. Miso aubergine was delicious! Sushi so fresh, cannot fault any of the dishes we tried!

Came here on a warm Sunday afternoon. The decor was stark but carefully chosen-wood and stone. Enjoyed the fish nigiri and seaweed and carrot salad but the best by far was the miso soaked aubergine and the ice cream selection, especially sesame favour. Will definitely...

The food is delicious, we had the soft shell crab sushi which was beautifully homemade and the chicken yakitori was crispy and moreish.. They have a massive dog that lies about in the next room, he is super friendly and fluffy. Winning combo