Wagamama - Royal Festival Hall in Lambeth

Food was good but noisy environment but I guess that's owed to the location

Wagamama Royal Festival Hall offers a fantastic dining experience with flavorful food, great atmosphere, and friendly service. The food stood out with its delicious flavors and beautiful presentation, making it worth the visit. While the service was good, a slight delay was noticeable. The vibrant atmosphere added to the enjoyment of the meal. Would highly recommend for a satisfying and enjoyable dining experience!

The ramen was good but nothing more. The decor of the restaurant is nice and it is quite well located.

I recently visited Wagamama and really enjoyed the food—it was delicious, and the service was attentive. Thank you for maintaining such a high standard in your dishes and dining experience. However, I would like to mention a concern politely. During my visit, I noticed an issue with body odor from some staff members, which affected the overall dining experience. I understand that working in a busy restaurant environment can be physically demanding, but perhaps encouraging the use of deodorants or other measures could help enhance the comfort for everyone. Thank you for considering this feedback, and I look forward to visiting again soon.

Quick to have a seat. We ordered ramen and it was not hot and noodles were like instant noodles.

The food was okay nothing special for the price but I did like the gyoza. Was sat by the door which was open even though it was freezing outside so had to ask to move. Service wasn’t very good i got my meal before my dad then we were waiting for a while before anyone realised he didn’t have his. Ordered a green tea and it came in a stained glass so i had to ask for a new one. Overall it wasn’t very clean and service was poor.

Over 20 years ago, I tried Wagamama and was horrified by how bad the dish was. Coming from an Asian family of talented chefs who deeply value good food, I avoided the restaurant ever since. However, a friend of mine, who has specific dietary requirements, suggested we go because she could eat there. I shared my previous experience with her and later with Iliyan, the manager. I explained that I wanted to try a dish that was popular and unique to Wagamama—not one rooted in traditional Asian cuisine, as I learnt tonight Wagamama is more known for British-Asian fusion. Iliyan was incredibly hospitable, carefully checked for my food allergies, and made sure we had a wonderful experience. To ensure I didn’t have to wait too long for my dish while he confirmed my food allergies, Iliyan thoughtfully brought us a complimentary side of pulled mushrooms, which turned out to be absolutely delicious. The dish featured pulled mushrooms atop crispy rice, paired with an Asian-inspired cream sauce. I do think Wagamama could benefit from adding photos to the menu because the description didn’t fully do it justice. For my main course, Iliyan recommended the sambal crispy chicken—a modern take on a Malaysian dish I’m familiar with—and it was absolutely scrumptious. When I thanked Iliyan and shared how impressed I was despite my initial hesitation, he expressed his gratitude to my friend for bringing me in and to me for giving Wagamama another chance. To my surprise, he went above and beyond by gifting me a signed cookbook personalized with my name, one of his favorite desserts (a ginger cheesecake), and a refreshing cocktail called Breakfast in Tokyo—light, sweet, and utterly delightful. Thank you so much, Iliyan, for taking such great care of us and for showing me how much Wagamama has evolved. Your hospitality truly changed my perspective, and I appreciate the effort you put into making our visit exceptional. *Definitely give the pulled mushrooms a try.*

Had an amazing experience at Wagamama! The food was fantastic, chicken gyoza was crispy and flavorful, and both the ramen and donburi dishes were absolutely delicious. Everything was packed with flavor and beautifully prepared. What made the visit truly special was our waitress, Arianny. She was incredible, so welcoming, full of positive energy, and went above and beyond to make us feel at great. Her friendliness and attentiveness were unmatched. Thank you, Arianny, and the team at Wagamama for such a wonderful experience!

Really lovely meal today. Had a couple of not-so-great experiences with other branches, but this was great. Service was friendly and fast despite being quite busy. Will come back I’m sure.

The taste is not Japanese, far from Japanese but close to south east Asia. Anyway the food was not so bad, but it is not a Japanese restaurant.

Horrible experience. 1-there is no choice if a person is allergic to peace, the only option available is vegetable gyoza, with the uncertainty of contamination. 2- we waited 15 minutes for a bottle of water, despite trying and trying to call a “waiter/manager”. 3-completely dirty table and dirty glasses with stains. 4-no one came to do the double check, if everything had gone well. I strongly don't recommend anyone to come here, especially if you want to have dinner with friends or your partner. Absolutely avoid

Emil was incredible. Understanding and gave the best service

Great spot for a walk along the river and to grab some good food.

The food is always amazing! Such a buzz, great atmosphere, and our waitress was just lovely. She was incredibly busy yet still had time to share with us, and a constant, infectious smile!

Faruqi was an exceptionally gracious host, making me feel truly welcome. The service was outstanding, with him ensuring I was seated in my preferred spot. To top it off, he generously treated me to a complimentary bowl of ice cream, adding a thoughtful touch to an already wonderful experience.

We were invited to this restaurant. There were 5 of us and 3 of us liked it, but my ramen was the worst ramen I've ever eaten in my life - completely tasteless. The second -different- ramen I ordered also did not resemble ramen. We asked for just rice for the child and we received rice (dry as a chip) and pasta (hard to eat in this form). Even though we asked for just rice, both rice (which is understandable) and pasta were added to the bill (2 pounds each). I won't come back a second time.

Best quality Asian food. The vegetarian chicken portion is unmissable.

Very friendly and attentive service, very good food too. Excellent value for money! Variety of vegetarian dishes

The food is really well done very delicious. however, the stuff takes a long time to come to the table to take our order that also if you are a little bit tipsy after some drinks it’s a nightmare to pay the bill because it’s everything digital and you need to find out you’re on way to login and pay the bill

Seemed busy but lots of empty spots. I left after sitting and waiting for 10 minutes

Music a little loud - but good food & good service.

Light, comforting food in a lively and relaxed atmosphere, served with smiles and friendliness …

Great food, great ambiance, loved the whole experience

best meal ever, sohanur was an amazing server. will defo be back 😍😍😍

Lovely time lovely food great service from Sohanur

First time visiting since being gluten free, had to ask two people before I could get a gluten free menu which was tiny 😭 the manager had to take my order but he was so nice and really careful about my food! The food was awful sadly, there was no taste to the pad Thai at all, I got it without prawns and chilli but it tasted like nothing, I asked for salt but they gave me an empty grinder but at this point I felt like a pain to keep asking. We then had to get someone’s attention to order desert waited around 15 mins and tried asking someone else because no one came. Sadly the desert I wanted was defrosting and the second choice was out of stock but at this point the manager was servicing us - who I can’t stress enough was actually amazing! And he helped us with our deserts and gave me it on the house due to the issues with availability. Apart from the great manager, I was really let down with the food so sadly will take Wagamama’s off my gluten free safe list.

Very good, I highly recommend it.

Everything we ordered was delicious; Zeltan took care of us in the best way. If you are in the London Eye area, don't hesitate to come.

Food was good but felt a little rushed - the chicken dumplings could have been cooked longer for a better flavour and texture as they were a little mushy and not at all crispy. Everything else was good, I would have liked to have been asked how I wanted my steak cooked, they usually do in other stores so I'm not too sure why I wasn't, not a big fan of well done steak.

Always great food that arrives quickly. Sura, really looked after us and provided amazing customer service. Would recommend for a quick stop in Southbank

Absolutely a great place to eat at … Sohini who served us was extremely nice and very helpful in helping us with our order. And Oh, you should try their coconut ice cream. Thank you James, my wife totally loved the ice cream.

Outstanding service. Sohini took great care of us. She was incredibly kind, always smiling, and very helpful, making my experience delightful. James also prepared coconut ice cream for us, and it’s the best I’ve ever had.

Great food and service. Sohanur was excellent

Hadn't been to wagamama for a while and wanted a treat. Food came quickly and was tasty however for the price I would say portion size was small and left me wanting more. I found the service near the end of the meal was poor. I asked a member of staff for the bill three times. The first time the response was positive but the staff member just went back to his position standing by the entrance. 10 minutes later I asked the same person for the bill. His response was "where are you sitting?" (I was the table directly behind him where I asked the first time). He then says yes but then leaves the restaurant to talk on his phone. I then had to ask a different member of staff for the bill, it came and I left. I don't think I'll return to this particular location

Unfortunately a bad experience. You have overcharged me and have not responded to my email about this. How can you just take my money so brazenly? You won't see me again, no matter where in the world.

Food was amazing I had the pork ramen with udon noodles, Priscilla was my waitress she was amazing and very kind !

Great service from James thank you!! Didn’t realise service wasn’t included until after we paid otherwise would have given you a tip Helpful and attentive Much appreciated Can’t go wrong with Waga

The waiter is rude and doesn’t know the etiquette of customer service … the management should make aware of it or they will loose a customer !!! .i don’t recommend this restaurant ….

Amazing food amazing sttaf is my first time in it I really like it .dont hesitate to visit it

5 of us ordered different dishes. All of us were satisfied and happy with our choices. Good food overall although my hotpot was a tad salty for my taste but still good. Fresh juices were very nice as well. I would recommend a return trip

Lovely food as always but felt rather let down by the poor availability of wine . No white wine only blush available. Waitress explained that this was due to an upcoming change in menu . Service friendly and polite

Lovely food as always but felt rather let down by the poor availability of wine . No white wine only blush available. Waitress explained that this was due to an upcoming change in menu . Service friendly and polite

I had the pleasure of dining at Wagamama, we were 4 people and one dog, they give us an amazing table on the terrace and the service was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warm smiles and immediately made to feel welcome. The staff were attentive without being overbearing, and they seemed genuinely invested in ensuring we had a memorable experience. The timing was impeccable—our drinks arrived quickly, and the courses were perfectly paced. Every interaction with the team members felt personal and thoughtful; they were knowledgeable about the menu, offered insightful recommendations, and were happy to accommodate dietary restrictions without hesitation, we had Maria, an extraordinary manager that runs the place like not many. They control perfectly allergic situations, from the order till the efficiency on handling the food, cross contamination was present at all moments. What truly stood out was how seamless the service felt. Water glasses were always filled, plates cleared efficiently, and yet, the entire experience remained relaxed and unhurried. It’s rare to find a place where the service is as remarkable as the food, but Wagamama exceeded all expectations. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply enjoying a night out, the service at Wagamama will elevate your experience. Highly recommended!

For the number of staff working the service was very poor. We were seated quickly and that was about it. Our server was lovely and probably one of the only people that looked to be working. We heard one staff member refuse to clear up an empty table, there were 7 staff just standing around the bar at one point and there were multiple dirty tables around us throughout our meal. We had to look around and get someone’s attention to order dessert and he seemed pissed off that we had asked him and not our assigned server (who was busy). Also saw several servers spraying table wipe right next to people who were still eating. Overall this was our worst experience at a Waga Mama and it was all based on service because the food was great. But what’s good food without good service. 🤷🏼‍♀️

My meal was amazing same with sides and drinks we ordered, the problem began when I asked where is my husbands meal after 30 minutes it turned out that the person who was taking our order forgot to put it through! He didn’t apologise he didn’t had any solutions for us either. Ignorance!

Great Wagamama’s with a view of the Thames, great service from Faruqui who made a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Quick service and food arrived quick, thank you!

I visited this place a several times but today I was extremely surprised by the manager Iliyan who was serving us with such a professional attitude and behaviour! The place was busy as usual and he made it sure me and my boyfriend had everything on time ! I want to say a big thank you ! We had a wonderful evening! The food and cocktails was delicious as always!

We were a group of 8 and received a great service by Yash! Nice food and many options on the menu! Definitely a good option for a late dinner in the Waterloo area.

Nice restaurant, good food and great service by Yash.

Very very delicious!!!! It’s worth it🥰🥰🎉👋🏼

Wagamama is a go-to whenever i’m back in London!

I’ve not been to a Wagamama for a few years but if this place is a yardstick it has really gone down hill! The south Asian serving staff seem more interested in staring at customers than actually serving and our waitress has no idea on how to serve food! It’s simply thrown down at the end of the table and help yourself ! Appalling really. Katsu curry was decent … if you like sauce that tasted like it was microwaved from a tescos ready-meal 😂. Really enjoyed the chicken katsu - was crispy. First meal I’ve had when I don’t want to pay the service charge it was that bad!

The food is delicious and the service is quick 💨. The location is good 👍, near the London Eye.

Matthew did a great job. One point of feedback: please put instructions/pictures to show how to use automatic Dyson water faucet/dryer in the toilets. Far from intuitive. Other than top notch all round including the new app.

Lovely food but kinda meh service, don’t get me wrong the staff was really nice and friendly but they were extremely slow compared to other locations in London

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. This was my first visit to a Wagamama. Very impressed. And pleasantly surprised at the reasonable price, for London. Highly recommend.

A rede Wagamama é uma cadeia britânica de restaurantes de inspiração asiática, conhecida por seu ambiente descontraído e menu inovador que mistura elementos da culinária do Japão e de outras regiões da Ásia. Durante nossa visita, experimentamos dois pratos que nos deixaram com ótima impressão. O Teriyaki Chicken Donburi é uma combinação deliciosa de frango em molho teriyaki servido sobre arroz gohan, acompanhado de cenouras raladas, brotos de ervilha e cebolinha, e finalizado com sementes de gergelim e kimchi, que adicionam um toque picante e refrescante. Os Soba Noodle é um preparado com frango, camarão, pimentões, broto de feijão e cebola, gengibre em conserva, cebolas fritas crocantes e sementes de gergelim. Delicioso!

This was our last night out before heading home. We had eight people and everyone was happy! Reasonable prices and excellent food. Manager of this location is doing a stellar job.

Great atmosphere, great service by Yash and amazing food as always. Thanks

Not a great experience here, went for an anniversary meal with my wife and my food arrived almost 15 minutes before hers. Staff didn’t seem too bothered about it. We ended up eating separately! Ordered some table water which never arrived as well. On the plus side the food was delicious.

We have ordered in an easy and relaxed manner, no rush from the staff at all , Iliyan the manager and Saima our waiter were very helpful with my allergy , she is an amazing waiter making our stay very pleasant, answered my friend’s questions about the food ! The manager is an amazing person , ensuring we were well looked after . I have been asking him the name of the person who sitted us , he informed me that her name is Daday , the kindest person ever , although very busy she asked us how we are and had a chat until seated . Thank you for a memorable experience with you ! We will definitely be back !

For simple, quick Japanese can't go wrong. Everything was flavorful. Preference wise, the noodles were mainly soba and udon. Spice can be mild but not overwhelming. Dishes come with all the typical accoutrements. Service is quick and since this is under the arch, would suggest eating inside.

Superba esperienza con pranzo a base di ramen di pollo. Servizio rapido ed eccellente sin dal ricevimento sotto l’attenta e paziente supervisione del grande Kan!!!!!

Great Kan!!!! Thanks to him we tasted the best of what the place offers both in terms of accommodation and gastronomic offer. He followed us with extreme attention for the entire duration of the lunch, satisfying our every request. Excellent value for money.

Stopped in for lunch having heard of Wagamama a d we don't have it at home. Great service, the staff were polite and prompt and the food was delicious. I had Yaki Udon which was delicious with great flavours. The High Five juice was not too sweet and full of flavours. Glad we walked past, would definitely go again

Just had a great meal with excellent service from our waiter, James. My 7 year old niece said he is the nicest man in London.

This review is overdue! We have visited Wagamama Southbank several times, and the experience is always pleasant. It's a super kid-friendly restaurant with a great menu. The staff is well-trained, and it's clear they enjoy working there. During our last visit, which was the best so far, the staff did their best to accommodate us, but the restaurant manager, Mr. Iliyan, went above and beyond his professional duties to help us. My whole family and our guest would like to thank you for your kindness and professionalism! Highly recommended, especially when Iliyan is there!

Emil was great and super friendly

Ordered Gluten Free meal and two standard meals. Standard meals arrived, no GF meal. Family had ate their meal, still no GF meal. Husband asked where my meal was and was told it hadn’t been cooked yet as the needed to wash the cooking equipment and cook my meal separately. Chef was cooking other orders in preference to my GF meal. Eventually GF meal arrived. The meal was not charged for but I was made to feel very upset that by being celiac I was unable to enjoy a meal with my family. The manager gave the impression that by not charging for the meal that it made everything ok, but trust me it never as I was in tears at the table ruining my perfect family birthday day out.

This place was great, had a lovely meal, plus an extra plate of food cause they made an order wrong and my server (I dont remember his name) he handed it to me and said it was on the house. Never been happier in my life.

One person wrote “unforgettable dining experience”….its a Waggers, common. I can provide the following recommendations for people with young kids / families. The branch of Waggers gets packed as its prime tourist spot so recommend you avoid peak times. It’s pretty spacious inside for kids / buggies, so if you’re after a quick bite together with kid chaos then I would recommend here as had a good kids menu. Has lots of vegan choices if you’re looking for that.

We had to wait for our ramen for 45 minutes. The front Manager told us that the server had forgotten our order and that had nothing to do with him. Offered no apologies and was super rude. The name of the manager is Iliyan Naydenov

Its very busy branch, service was not as fast , food was good. Kids portion very generous. We had to wait while to get someone attention to pay. Overall good and will return there if I was in the area.

Second time in the chain albeit different places that a main course didn’t show up. Rest of family had finished before I could get the attention of the waitress. Not packed, not over busy, not impressed. In the waitresses defence I got offered an immediate free course cooked extra quick. But not sure eating it was a good idea. It’s felt lacking in ingredients and if I’m sick I’ll report it. My days of looking forward to eating at the chain are over. It’s expensive for the level of care they take. They either need to sort out their ordering system or think about customers more.

Thanks to Xhino and Ylian were amazing they guys and very helpful with everything. I will definitely come again soon

Came with husband and a friend. I ordered Pad Thai but without chicken. Husband's dish arrived after about 5 mins and was apparently quite nice but not very warm. About 10 mins after that, the other two dishes came. My Pad Thai arrived with chicken in it, so sent it back. It took at least another 10 mins. When it finally came, it was best described by our friend as "anaemic". There were herbs (oddly, mint was one) and garlic but apparently no other flavouring. Pale, tasteless prawns and noodles. I can honestly say a ready meal would have been tastier. I didn't have time to start again, so put some soy sauce and chilli oil on it, which made it edible, but a bit liquidy. We suspect that there is a forgotten stock of Pad Thai sauce in the back of a long forgotten cupboard (or that a staff member is selling it off as a sideline). For info (from a recipe) "Pad Thai Sauce is made with fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and tamarind".

Great service! Really friendly team - particular shout out to Saima, Muly and Tatianna who made us feel so welcomed and made our evening really special.

Excellent lunch once again in this Wagamama. Great staff (with a special thanx to the friendly manager who found a solution to a minor hiccup).

James is so great! Very nice and patient, it’s just the undo not really my type…

Super friendly service from Shriya and speedy tasty food.

Love Wagamama! The Vegatsu is always great, same for the vegan Miso Caramel Ice Cream. The service was also great, everyone from the staff was very friendly and ready to help.

Ordered pad Thai noodles …. Taste was horrible … boiled noodles with oil n salt …. Onion skin was. Also served in the dish …. Complaint to the attendant but no change of dish …. Horrible service

Didn’t take any photos because we ate toooooo quickly. Sharmi is an actual angel. Thank you for making my mum and dad’s first ever Wagamama’s so lovely.

I have food poisoning due to this establishment. Wagamama as a brand have seriously gone down hill, Quality, taste, portion size a variety of cost cutting measures really add and affirm why i believe this to be. Anyhow we thought we would give them another try as the last time we went ate out at one was the beginning of the year in Croydon and even then the food did not taste like it used to! I have always gotten the prawn fire cracker for the last 8 years it's my go to dish and what I used to return for.This time however, it tasted a little off. The rice seemed a little old and there was only 9 pieces of prawns that were not too big, the taste was very underwhelming and the dish just warm. I literally have fire breath and can handle spice and food being very hot temperature wise, from previous experience I could just tell this was not a freshly cooked dish, being hungry I ate it, however felt like something was up with it l. Low and behold 3 hours later and my belly was doing cartwheels and I was feeling nautioughous in the uber home. I can testify this the culprit as I have had this very dish over the years even having food after and drink and never felt like this. This time I only had thr PFCRACKER and still water and I'm literally on the toilet right now feeling so bad while I type this. I really don't usually do this and leave bad reviews but I truly believe this is due to the kitchen at this place Reat assured this has sealed the deal for Waggamama they have lost a cutomer for life! Thanks Kas

Had another delicious meal at Wagamama festival hall, served by the friendly and attentive Emil - hope to come back soon!

We went there on Saturday evening 21st, weather was great so we asked the man on the door if we can wait for a table on terrace, he replied “if you wanna seat outdoor then you can go to Strada and eat there!!!! Well I asked him where does he work for ? And I told him his company wouldn’t be happy to see you sending customers to the other restaurants, he replied “ well I m the best that s why they put me in charge with this role” Anyway I tried to ignore that behaviour and sit inside to dine, as my family were exhausted and just wanted to have a decent food. Toilets are dirty and the food quality is not as well as other Wagamama brunches!

Thank you Ariana. We love your friendliness and kindness. To the next, Kisses

Visited with a friend and a guest of ours today. Ordered chicken donburi.. It was so bland and dry.. we could see 4 or 5 tiny sliced pieces of chicken only and it was £15 plate.. if it was half the price I would understand.. rice was terrible as well.. we had to chuck the soy sauce bottle to make it eatable.. gyoza was nice though..never ever..

Busy restaurant on the colorful riverfront... Good food and Jeo was a sweet server.

The manager here is so so lovely

Our server kennasa was really kind and nice our food came on time there was another person with a black t-shirt blond hair Gucci rings smelled good he was amazing if I come back I again it would be because of them 🫶🏿👌🏿

Honestly such a lovely experience! Location is perfect & the cocktails were so good

Very nice and professional staff, allergens were taken care of by the restaurant manager who gave the order directly to the kitchen manager and the food was then delivered directly by the restaurant manager. Slightly moody atmosphere. Recommend.

Yesterday I visited with my wife and friend. We have ordered Few vegetarian dishes and it was delicious as usual. Food was served by Harshil and we spent almost 1 hour there and during this period his service was good. Thank you Harshil for this. Definitely we will visit again. 😘😘☺️☺️

Food was good, service was average.

Nice service by Harshil.The food was excellent as well. Will visit again..

Ignored by staff for 15 minutes while trying to collect an order. The order was sitting on a shelf to be collected but no staff member seemed to notice I was standing waiting in their collection area. Food was cold at handover and staff member didn't even offer to have the order remade. Food was tasty as usual.

Excellent food paired with excellent service from Saima and Tatiana!

Fantastic service, lovely team, smiles all round, had a great experience with Tatiana and Akin

Had to drop in Wagamama for twice in my 1 week in London, 1 at the Tower and the other one at Southbank, tried different dishes but the experiences were equally bad, too bland hot pot, too spicy ramen, too sweet fried rice.. this place seriously needs to improve their recipes. never Wagamama again, not recommend.