Ukai Sushi Portobello in Kensington and Chelsea

We came across Ukai by accident as we were making our way through Portobello Market and wanted a more substantial and comfortable lunch than that on offer from the market stalls. We perused the menu outside before entering having decided we liked the look of several dishes, so we went for it. Despite the throngs of people and hustle and bustle of the market outside, Ukai was surprisingly quiet, and with only a couple of other diners, we were given a very generously sized table, with comfortable seating. The paucity of other diners was a bit of a concern and prompted a quick look on TripAdvisor before we settled in and ordered anything. The recent reviews did nothing to alleviate the concerns, but decided to stick with it and were really glad we did. The staff were friendly and efficient and were prepared to explain the menu as well providing a warning that one of the dishes selected may come with a slight wait due to the time it takes to prepare. That wasn't a problem; we took that as an indication the dishes were prepared to order and were fresh. Also, we wanted a relaxed lunch and weren't in any hurry, but TBH, there wasn't any noticeable delay in any of the service. For starters, we went with a couple of cocktails, including a very refreshing Kyoto style mojito, and shared steamed edamame, chicken gyoza and generous portions of pork belly bao buns. Mains included the beef short rib and sizzling beef Toban-Yaki, with sides of broccoli and Japanese mushrooms. The food was well presented, fresh as expected, using quality ingredients, with delicious results. We enjoyed everything, so we were glad that we hadn't been dissuaded by the negative reviews. For us this place was a great find and provided a relaxed setting for the lovely lunch we had been looking for. Hopefully other diners will look beyond unfavourable reviews and give Ukai a go. For food this good it certainly deserves to busier than it was on a Saturday afternoon with lots of potential customers passing through the market outside.

Poor service made much worse by 14% service charge that was "company policy" and "can't be changed". Reluctantly I would have paid a 10% but it was "14% only"! Atmosphere dull so, all in all, the good food was spoilt by all essentials that make a difference.

Unfortunately had to put 1 star out of 5, the food was good, although the service was an absolute disgrace. Can’t believe that in a hospitality industry the service was this bad, the waiters were so rude. If I’d be the owner or manager this wouldn’t last a day, Embarrassing the way they treated the customers(not only us). You have to understand that the service and making people feel comfortable is a large part of the experience, the food can be good, but if you are extremely rude people will not come back. I have many things to say about the service, but who cares, I do not recommend this restaurant. I’m sorry.

I went to Ukai & my drink was spiked this was a traumatic & triggering experience this review is really a last resort  because on having reached out to Alex the manager relating to him how violated & anxious I felt. his reaction or lack there of really was quite shocking. A manager has a duty of care to existing & future clients safety...having felt paralyzed & frightened on the toilet floor I left without my keys/jacket managing to get a taxi. I'm not blaming the bar or manager however I believe as  paying customers we all deserve to be acknowledged when in danger this could happen to anyone of us & if it does ,do not expect ANY support understanding or even a reply from UKAi's manager Alex. After four emails I have not been informed if my belongings have been found. At this point Alex you really are part of the problem. To everyone else please be careful & stay safe.

Hiba, the wonderful woman who served us, truly made the place amazing. Her exceptional friendliness, helpfulness, and approachability set her apart. Despite visiting many bars, her presence made this one extra special. Other staff members should definitely learn from her excellent customer service. We will certainly be returning here and I can't wait to tell my friends about it

I was at the bar on Friday afternoon, my wife and I got chatting to a couple of American tourists about what to do while there are in London. One of the ladies showed me her bill which had a service charge on it. I asked the barman what's this all about. To this the barman said "this is how things are done in London, why don't you just go back up north". He made the whole place feel uncomfortable and everyone left. I'm sure something wasn't right because he got angry very quickly. I've lived in London for 10 years and Have never had a service charge on my bill while sitting directly at the bar.

Disappointed. Forgot half our dosges, offered us deserts, before realising, tild us 5 minutes wait for the last 5 dishes, then asked us to move tables, ad they had a large party. Brought the rest out at the new table 10 minutes later.... checked up on us on the food, we stated Disappointed due to ruining the experience and asked for the bill, didn't honour the 40% discount offered due to making us wait 2 hour for food and move tables that was offered when asked by COCKY waiter... We couldn't be bothered to challenge... paid the bill... food ad good as it was wouldn't use again!!!

Cucina giapponese più buona mai provata , i bau sono qualcosa di straordinario da provare assolutamente. Servizio e musica eccellente .. stra consigliato…

Posto stupendo per una serata intera. Locale molto elegante, cibo di altissimo livello e professionalità di tutto lo staff. Il dopo cena ottimo con musica e open bar di livello assoluto

Una agradable sorpresa ya que entramos sin tener una idea previa de la calidad y nos encantó toda la comida. No solo el sushi era excelente, si no que el pollo frito y los baos estaban deliciosos. Sin dudarlo, un sitio de 10.

Semplicemente fantastico!! Locale molto bello e curato, personale sorridente, preparato e attento al cliente. I cocktail della casa che propongono sono originali e molto buoni. Il cibo è eccezionale sia per chi è amante della cucina giapponese sia per chi non l’ha mai mangiato con proposte a base di pesce crudo e non. Piatti presentati benissimo e proposta di vini interessante. Serata accompagnata da musica dal vivo. Proprietario molto gentile, attento e molto preparato. Esperienza unica. Ci torneremo sicuramente!

A wonderful place in London to enjoy delightful food. The staff is very nice and quick. The best location in London so far in the neighborhood of Portobello Road.

So amazing - we came from Westminster 2 nights is a row! The bar manager, Dan, created an amazing Fall cocktail list. He and his team led our first experience with exceptional hospitality. We ordered the tuna sashimi, the wagyu and the mushrooms (a MUST!). So wonderful - we came back the next day and ordered the same. The ambiance - grand! Highly recommend. Business, friends or couples - perfect for all!

Lovely lunch - great service- we sat outside and had beautiful salmon and sushi - couldn’t fault the food. Chap who served us was very pleasant and I would definitely go back

Best Japanese restaurant with live music on the weekend. Perfect to visit with family and friends, located just in Notting Hill!

Sushi e sashimi muito bom! Tempura de camarão excelente ! E o melhor de todos o wagyu delicioso recomendo ! Comida muito gostosa

Ce fut un réel plaisir gustatif, un vrai régal qui les papilles tellement ventait excellent. Tout étant très très bon. Un pur délice culinaire de A a Z. De plus le serveur est vraiment très gentil, très souriant et hyper professionnel. Bravo monsieur et un grand bravo en cuisine pour nous avoir apportez autant de plaisir à manger. Merci merci merci .

Such a gorgeous spot. Incredible, flavoursome food and amazing service. Arjay/RJ (not sure how to spell) is a wonderful manager and always ensures guests are looked after well. Very lovely experience. Similar vibe to nobu but better. Thanks so much! See you guys soon at portobello road.

Incredible little place to stop at while on the Portobello market, the place is absolutely mint and staff very friendly. Love the beer - Kirin ichiban. Defo coming again

Not what it's used to be, very rude and unfriendly manager, music still OK, probably the only thing good it's actually the various DJ, strongly not recommend this place

The food was incredible, friendly attentive service. The lamb chops and the black cod were sublime.highly recommend .Thanks a lot

Beautiful interior and bar, we stayed only for drinks as we had booked dinner nearby already. We stayed for several pre-dinner rounds and found the cocktails very good, a little quirky and original with Japanese twists on classics. Service was a little slow, but as it was a relaxing drink this was not so much of an issue. Will definitely go back for drinks again - menu looked good, so possibly for food too.

We visited for lunch at 1:30pm on a Friday.. and the initial impression was that it was absolutely empty. This should have been our first red flag. Regardless we sat and ordered some sushi. It should be noted that the host/ server throughout our visit was super friendly, nice and such a pleasant guy. However, I am sad to say that this was the only positive to our experience. We ordered tempura veggies, which were honestly okay, nothing to complain about, as well as a side of broccoli which was essentially, dry, rubbery unseasoned tender stem, with a random dip on the side. Sushi wise… such a disappointment. The rice was over cooked, mushy and not sticky at all. The avocado was hard & unripe - and one of the rolls literally had store bought siracha & siracha mayo COVERING them… Such a weird lunch experience… yourself the disappointment..

The manager Alesandro is very rude and not a moral guy. Beware of getting food there,cause they try to give old foods to customers

We visited for an early lunch on a Sunday. For most of our meal we were the only guests there. Worth noting, the menu in the restaurant was much smaller than the version on their website, but still included most of the items we had...

We walked in without having made a reservation but the person who received us was very understanding. We were given a table by the grill and received our food within a reasonable amount of time. The food is amazingly tasty. It feels like an explosion...

Truly fantastic live music on a dreary Sunday A friendly staff and wine and drinks are priced fairly - didn’t eat but food looked good

Food was ok. Music was too loud to have a conversation. Tables crammed together. Waiting staff came across as dim. Disappointing experience.

Hallöchen:) Ich war mit meiner Schwester 2mal in dem Restaurant innerhalb von fünf Tagen. Das Sushi war göttlich, einfach nur...

Wir haben das Ukai zwei mal in fünf Tagen besucht denn dass leckere asiatische Essen war absolut befriedigend und die...

saturday 3 September, table of 2 7,45pm. nice vibes environment, we order some drinks, a couple of starters and 2 mains. waiters very helpful and polites (and here finish the good things). starters very small For the price, arrived literally in 30 seconds before drinks,...

Have been coming here for years when in london. Particularly on a Saturday afternoon you can enjoy a fabulously Japanese meal and then listen to the music that starts around 3pm. The house band are just brilliant playing great instrumental tracks (the drummer and band...

Had dinner with a friend. The place looks nice but the atmosphere isn't that of a Japanese restaurant. I say this because although we really really enjoyed the food. The music was so loud I could hardly hear my friend or the waiters. The food...

The food was very very average at best. Felt nauseous after dinning. Left my sunglasses and there was no number to call, reached out via email and instagram to no avail- seemed like intentional incompetence so someone working there could have my sunglasses. Completely awful...

This place is vegetarian friendly if you want absolutely nothing to eat, at all! Cupboard is bare at Ukai. Is it a supply chain issue? Famish. I suggest they install a crawl-up window. Staff was inattentive at best.

Veldig god overraskelse i Portobello, London Vi fant denne restauranten, ved et lykketreff i kaoset av Portobello market Restaurant er...

Had a very nice visit to Ukai with a colleague. The cocktails were balanced and the bartender offered good recommendations. Food was quite good as well, enjoyed a number of starters and a sushi platter.

I am a huge fan of ukai and I eat here regularly, tonight however I was very disappointed with my food. I ordered take out, got most of my usual favourites, sadly the rock shrimp which is my absolute favourite was not as good as...