Zen Mondo in Islington

Incredible food! A lovely warm atmosphere and the staff are very nice. A very good selection of gluten free options, and they have gluten free soy sauce too! Great choice for coeliacs/gluten free - I’ve been here many times and will continue to come back.

We came once again for a family meal and everything was delicious, once again! You will get delicate flavours, fresh fresh food and discreet service here. Akemi herself oversees all the cooking. I'm going here again tonight, and just noticed that my first review was over 10 years ago, so you can see, you get consistency and high standards. The menu has reduced, which is a good sign to me, that food is prepared fresh. There is a large choice of saki available, I am quite intolerant of alcohol but never had a headache with saki, so i often choose one when i come here.

Excellent food and attention to detail for every dish. It is quite small with limited seats but it is worth it

Perfect little restaurant. You wouldn’t know it was there. Nestled on the high street and delightful little place with so much character. Good and service are excellent !!! Akemi makes all her own ceramic and they are beautiful. The best shushing have tasted.

We walked in without a reservation and without knowing anything about the restaurant, other than it looked welcoming from the window. But we were really impressed by the quality of the cuisine. The sushi and sashimi are great value given the high quality, and the hotpot nabe dishes are also very good. The sake list is simple and well explained, making it easy to navigate. You can really feel the care that goes into the entire menu, and the pottery for sale is also very nice. A true gem, hidden in plain sight. We will definitely be coming back.

we love Zen Mondo, beautiful food, great value, charming staff and owner, excellent sized portions, the food is really superb. And the ceramics are fab!

Didn’t really see what the fuss was about. Nice ceramics but the sashimi platter didn’t taste the freshest and the gyoza with mash purée was odd. I think there are better Japanese restaurants in the city.

We've been coming to Zen Mondo for years - it's always fresh and delicious with a great selection of authentic hot and cold Japanese dishes. Highly recommend!

The restaurant is very charming and the food is outstanding. I still dream about that braised pork belly. The sushi was delicious and the owner creates her own pottery, which btw are gorgeous. Visit this place if you like real Japanese food

Managed to get a last minute reservation on a Saturday, and so pleased we did. The double prawn tempura roll was knock out, and the salmon sashimi incredibly fresh. If you’re looking for loads of the latter, opt for the chirashi - such a generous portion. Middle of the road price wise but quality ingredients and big servings make it totally worth it. No spirits on site, just wine, beer and sake. Highly recommend!

Authentic, tasty experience in a cute little place. Sushi took a while to come which implies it was being rolled to order rather than having been sat around all day

I have discovered this restaurant quite randomly but luck was with me this day because I was positively surprised. Since then I came back to this restaurant on every opportunity that I could and even though it’s quite pricey, it is in my opinion worth every penny. The atmosphere is good, the staff is warm and welcoming and this is without talking about the food by which you can never be disappointed. I have stayed one year in London during which I have tried many restaurants, but this one is without any doubt my favourite Japanese restaurants and one my favourite restaurant in the whole city.

I love hand cones - temaki - and these were among the best I've had. Not only was there a really good range, from snow crab to spicy tuna to eel, they were well made and perfect for dipping. They were also BIG. I had two and was stuffed. Great value for money and NOT overloaded with rice. Partner had the Udon and found it both hearty and tasty. Great range of sakes as well ... and in a world of way too many chain sushi stores with industrially prepared sushi - this was a delight. Oh, and the great presentation on lovely ceramics. A lovely lunch.

I asked that person if shabushabu is enough for two people. They said its a lot. but it was just so little for 28 pounds. I dont think this area could that this pricy

Came back here a few nights ago and still love their set dinner with two desserts! Awesome meal and service and love their own pottery ware where no two are the same!

This is my favourite Japanese restaurant in London! I am Japanese and this restaurant serves real Japanese foods in reasonable price. I am confident to take my friends (Japanese and non Japanese) here . ロンドンでお気に入りの日本食レストランです。よくあるなんちゃって日本食では無く、ダシのきいたお料理がこだわりの器に綺麗に盛られて出て来ます。このレベルでこのお値段はかなりリーズナブルだと思います。

Superb restaurant. Had pre theatre menu . Only as it seemed an excellent introduction to the restaurant. Highly authentic but refined food prepared by Japanese chef. Beautiful hand made ceramics from chefs home region also available at reasonable prices . Well worth a visit.

He venido aquí varias veces y me encanta, es un restaurante fabuloso. No se desanime por la apariencia ligeramente promedio: nunca deja de deleitarse. En esta ocasión almorcé el trío sushi: sopa de miso, ensalada, un plato de sushi absolutamente delicioso y té verde para 15. No está nada mal para la calle superior. Muy recomendable.

Intentando dejar una revisión equilibrada aquí de un pedido de Deliveroo. Tenía el chirashi, pollo gyoza y tres rollos: tempura de camarones, cangrejo de concha blanda y cola amarilla.Chirashi y rollos estaban bien, aunque un poco sin incidentes.Si probaste la tempura de camarones y los rollos de cangrejo de caparazón blando sin prestar atención, podrías olvidar que tenías dos rollos diferentes. Son un poco indistinguibles entre sí, pero digamos que no es un problema.El chirashi, también está bien. Obtienes una tira de pescado para representar cada tipo. Unas seis tiras. Ok, no estoy preocupado por esta presentación, aunque tengo la sensación de que la versión de entrega no tiene un enfoque particular para el restaurante.Hasta ahora, le daría una calificación de 3 estrellas, muy buena calificación de "está bien".Desafortunadamente, el pollo gyoza es donde tengo que rebajar a una calificación de 1 estrella. Sé que es un restaurante de sushi, pero me temo que el "sushi de pollo" es un gran no - no para mí. Las pieles translúcidas de gyoza muestran que el restaurante va a comer tartar de pollo.Por supuesto, hablé con Deliveroo pero luego también llamé al restaurante para avisarles. Para ser justos, esta revisión está destinada al restaurante (no al cliente) para que puedan hacer algunos ajustes si lo desean. ¡Espero eso ayude!

メニューの多くを寿司が占めていますが、女性一人で握っている為に時間がかかり過ぎ。夜、二番客としていったのにもかかわらず、最初に出てきたのは30分以上経ってから。もうないかな。

All is good here. The manager is extremely attentive and professional and the food is very sophisticated and fresh. Very relaxing atmosphere as well.

This understated restaurant is really cute and has a rather serene atmosphere. The sashimi set lunch presented the freshest fish prepared with the greatest of care. Service was friendly and efficient.

Anoche encontramos este lugar por accidente y decidimos probarlo cuando leemos el menú que se muestra afuera.

Zen Mondo es un pequeño restaurante sin pretensiones de 2 pisos en Upper Street en Islington, una calle que está en mal estado para los restaurantes. Zen Mondo puede mantener su cabeza alta. La cocina japonesa es delicada y deliciosa y está elegantemente presentada. Fue una buena relación calidad-precio en aproximadamente 22 por persona para un almuerzo abundante sin alcohol. Llegamos temprano a las 12 hs. Para cuando nos fuimos, el piso de arriba estaba casi lleno.

Quality food and nice, cozy environment, but lacks the Japanese vibe. The service is quick, but unfriendly. The kitchen closes early, so you better get here early enough.

Fuimos en pareja un sábado por la noche. Pedimos unos cuantos platos pequeños que estaban bien, pero nada especial. Luego pedimos el menú para pedir algunos platos más y nos dijeron que la espera fue de al menos 1 h para obtener los nuevos pedidos. El ambiente está bien, pero no es suficiente para una espera tan larga. Decidimos irnos, mi esposo todavía tenía hambre y ambos nos decepcionamos.

We parked in Upper St. intending to go to another restaurant in Islington when we noticed Zen Mondo, what a fabulous happenchance. We took the last table for 2 and were delighted that we did. The food was amazing - beautifully presented, the wine very reasonable and the service warm & friendly. We had a very enjoyable meal & will definitely be re-visiting, next time we will book ahead though to be sure that we get a table.

We must have walked past this tiny Japanese restaurant hundreds of times. It’s right in the middle of Islington, almost opposite the Screen on the Green, but so discreet as to be almost invisible. Service was great, and the food was absolutely delicious. We were with friends from Japan who had told us about the restaurant, and they loved it too. Great gyoza, mackerel in miso broth and tempura crab - and a really good set menu too. All followed with matcha tea ice cream. Arrigato.

Si estás en Londres, que su manera de Angel (que está en Islington). Allí encontrará una gran zona que tiene muchos y variados sitios para comer, baja, media y alta. Una noche el pasado mes particular (Julio, 2018) nos encontramos buscando Zen Japonés y nos pareció mondo. La planta principal estaba lleno, pero nos sentaron abajo, que en realidad era bastante íntimo y confortable. El sashimi era excelente. Los platos de sushi, que fueron agrupadas en fácil de entender para los occidentales, también platos era muy buena. Sake frío de una extensa lista, así como cervezas frías en la moda (japonés). Bueno, como os recomiendo verlo.

Este pequeño restaurante japonés es mi lugar favorito de sushi. Es muy cómodo, la comida sabe increíble y el personal es amable. He celiaquía y el personal y el chef están muy bien informados acerca de eso. He estado aquí en cualquier momento para comer platos diferentes y nunca he estado enfermo. También tienen gluten de salsa de soja. Lo recomiendo encarecidamente!

Poor food quality, not authentic Japanese food, don't know what this cuisine IS!! Poor customer service, over priced, awful seating areas and interior, sorry but can not think anything positive for this restaurant. Avoid.

Un restaurante pequeño, íntimo, tranquilo, con un personal estupendo y mayor de alimentos. Memorable sopa de fideos con tempura. Caro, pero vale la pena cada libra.

Me encantó nuestra noche aquí. El personal es muy amable, el servicio es estupendo, y la comida es maravillosa. Mi amigo nunca había tratado de sake, así que tuvimos el sake "Vuelo de Degustación", que incluía tres variedades muy diferentes y fue una maravillosa manera de probar por primera vez. El menú tiene recomendaciones personales del propietario encantador/chef, que también hace un montón de la vajilla (que está disponible para la venta) y salió a hablar con nosotros. El tempura era tan buena que he tenido en Japón y el vegetariano y salmón gyoza eran increíbles. Una gran ventaja, fue la selección de tintos y blancos umeshu (probamos tanto en el final. ). En general, un lugar de noche, con una comida fantástica y un gran servicio.

Good food in a cozy atmosphere. Among my favourite in the area. I had their sushi platter and a seaweed salad and it was very good. Nice place

La comida es tradicional japonés con un sesgo hacia sushi - hay una selección limitada de platos calientes, pero la selección que teníamos estaban bien hecho, muy bien presentado y sabroso.

Tenía un precioso, encantador almuerzo. La comida es simplemente espectacular. El camarón tempura aperitivo es para morirse. Tuve el sashimi almuerzo - una sopa de miso! El pescado era elección de 6 piezas, lo cual significaba un chef atún salmón 2, 2, 1 y 1 de cacahuetes caballa. A menos pescado mejor disponibles, atún y salmón son mis favoritos, así que estaba bien. Tengo que admitir que la caballa fue inesperadamente mi favorito; fresco y sólo hablaba extraordinariamente a mi lengua del mar. Mi compañero tenía el pollo teriyaki, que parecía fantástico. Los muslos de pollo en vez de la típica sosa mama; bien caramelizado. Y, la cerámica preciosa para la venta son espectaculares. Compramos varias para regalos. Si estás en Islington, este es el lugar para ir para los japoneses.

Set menu was great and tried a few thing Including the chicken tatsuta and really enjoyed it. Restaurant is quite small but had good vibe and atmosphere.

Food is nice: I had a sushi platter, seaweed salad and a glass of sauvignon. I liked the atmosphere as it is cozy and the staff authentic. Will go back

I wanted to go there for a long time as I liked the look of the restaurant from outside. Definitely worth it. Not cheap but very good, at least the dishes we chose. What other people ate also looked great and everyone seemed very happy....

I eat at this restaurant often. My favourite cuisine is Japanese, and to me - this is by far the best Sushi restaurant in North London. The place is always busy, but clam and quiet - it is traditional, and the sushi chefs create beautiful...

Immer wenn wir in London sind gehen wir in dieses kleine japanische Lokal. Sehr authentisch! Dieses Mal hatte ich Chirashi...

I have been to Zen Mondo a number of times and it never disappoints. The lunchtime menu is particularly good value. I had the lunchtime special this time and it was delicious. The food was well prepared and very enjoyable.

Mi amigo me llevó a Zen para el almuerzo y me Mondo que la experiencia fue buena, aunque mi amigo que sabe de comida japonesa y Japón bien dijeron que no era muy auténtico! He estado en el país dos veces, así que para mí fue un buen recordatorio poco, y la comida! Vale la pena una visita.

Estaba allí con un grupo de amigos una noche de sábado. La comida era muy buena y los precios razonables para comer japonés en Angel. El servicio era un poco lento y a veces llegamos todos los platos diferentes, que deben mejorarse. En general fue una buena experiencia.

Me and my wife had an evening dinner 10 minutes in an annoying couple sat 3 tables down she talked loudly all along for the rest of the evening boring business (he couldn't get a word in )Beside that I ordered a noodles soup with veg and Pork I tried very hard to find any taste in it ......I genuinely didn't !It was boiled water with tasteless ingredients inside my best part was a taste of the sushi that my wife ordered.2 meals a glass of wine and a beer £60 With all due respect I will stay in for a cup of tea next time it may fill me up more.Never again

Besti derrita sushi en la boca. Servicio increíble. Llena de amor y silencio. La sopa y el té verde también es muy bueno.

Tantos restaurantes Japoneses en Londres son realmente dirigido por coreanos imitando la comida japonesa. Conozco muy bien, porque casi siempre añadir a la que kimchi sufre una reacción.

Si usted falta Japón, venga aquí. El personal es tan agradable y todas las cerámicas son hechas a mano por el chef! Cómo mola? Y sí, todo el sushi es de gran calidad.

Me sorprendió lo poco Este restaurante atiende a los vegetarianos. La mayoría de los restaurantes japoneses que he sido demasiado ofrecen al menos un par de opciones. No aquí.

Popped in for their lunch menu. Great Teriyaki chicken, lovely and crispy, with rice. Also came with a good Miso, a refreshing salad and Japanese tea. All for £9.50! My friend had a sushi platter which was also generously portioned. Recommended!

It is a cozy place in Angel's neighborhood with a delicious sashimi! The staff is super friendly too! You should try their homemade desserts... they are the cherry on the top of the cake!

delicious food, very nice service, small restaurant with good atmosphere. the fish was very fresh and tasty.

My first ever real experience of Japanese food. Staff very helpful - able to recommend, food was amazing, good prices. Lovely evening all round.

Needed something hot & comforting on a cold day, so popped in for some soba noodles. It was delicious & affordable (great lunch deals), the duck was cooked perfectly, the broth was rich, I can't wait to go back. Service was friendly & efficient. Sushi at the neighbouring table looked great.

Small and cozy with a staff of only two - this lovely restaurant delighted us on a crisp London afternoon. We each ordered an Udon lunch, which is a soup combo: udon in simple fish soup (doesn't taste like fish), a small hand roll, and some tempura veggies. Everything was served nicely and with appetizing appearance. The tempura was ever so light and tasty, the handroll was yummy too. The soup was boring for me, but otherwise everything here was good. Other tables ordered sushi and every plate looked excellent and quickly eaten up. I think this place is lovely and I do recommend it for a quick lunch if you're in the area. The lunch-set price for 2 people + their regular sake came up to £31 + £5 service.

It's easy to say, "exceptional sushi," but hard to deliver. This place delivers the goods. Well conceived, well prepared, and excellent quality. We were highly satisfied with all of our meals here. The grilled eel was especially delicious, more so than any I have ever had before. Their set menu in effect before 7, is a great bargain, in my opinion. The place is run by a Japanese owner, which probably explains the very authentic Japanese esthetic to the decoration and the dinner ware.We liked the food and ambiance very much.

great atmosphere and food!!!the fish was so fresh and tasty!!!the staff is very nice!!!one of the best japanese restaurant in town!!!!

The sushi here is delicious and very fresh tasting. The restaurant itself lacks atmosphere and is very quiet, but the food is delicious and the service is very attentive. Would go here if I was craving sushi but not if I wanted somewhere fun with friends.

Here's a find! I work round here and go out to a restaurant lunch every day, but this was around for a few years before I discovered it recently. It looks like a cafe and the decor is somewhat messed up by lots of cheaply printed special offer notices, but don't let that put you off. The lunch menu provides a wide range (about 20) different options and the sushi selections are both extraordinary quality and the most beautiful presentation I have seen for many years. The prices are very good - lunch options range from £9 to £12. I'm looking forward to an opportunity of trying dinner here too.

A real Japanese restaurant with a real Japanese owner and a real Japanese chef, Zen Mondo serves real Japanese food with a twist. The sushi is not any old sushi but each piece is carefully crafted with individual toppings. At lunch time, when we went, miso soup and sunomono and tea are included for less than the price you'd have to pay for a pizza. If you've got the room Zen Mondo does some truly delicious combos for afters.

Do not be misjudged by the look of the place. Small but cosy. Quality very good and good maki an sushi. Been there several times and recommended. Priced resonably for quality and location.

The food was very good and the Fruit Plate dessert was amazing. The only thing is that the prown tempura I was expecting just the prown tempura but they put them in sushy rolls, which surprised me because I never saw that before. Appart from that everything perfect. The atmosphere very cosy and private.

Always wanted to try a little Japanese restaurant and this place was nearby my friends flat. Waitress very friendly and helped to explain what was what. Tried some Sake for the first time too. Food was very well presented and was delicious. Would happily go back again.

Good service and nice environment. However, prices were way too high for small portions and average Japanese cuisine.

I went there for lunch with a friend and we both left very happy. They were very lovely and the food was really nice. Maybe I wouldn't say it's the best Japanese I've been to, but it's certainly on the top of the list. I highly recommend it!

I have had lunch at this place twice now and every time I am a happy person! The food is really good and their noodles in that broth with all sorts of goodies was heavenly! Sushi was equally a tasty experience. I don't know how busy it gets in the evening but we had a comfortable and fairly quiet seating during lunch but I like it that way.I can really recommend this little Japanese restaurant as it oozes authenticity and is not a big industrial kitchen. Price was really good as well. Going back when I am in the area!

Returned from a holiday in Japan a week ago, was missing the cuisine and friendly people so I thought I would check this place out for lunch. So glad that I did, this will now be added to my list of places to eat out. ありがとうございます

I love little Zen Mondo, there aren't enough Japanese restaurants in London that are still authentic. It is quite expensive, which is why we opted for the set dinner menu, which was three courses. It was very reasonably priced and each dish was beautifully presented and delicious!Very good spot for a date night/small group. I saw a review here complaining about bringing kids in. The waitresses are very, very shy and I can't ever imagine them being rude at all. It isn't really a great choice for bringing a large group and/or children (I have no idea what you'd pick for kids off of the menu).All in all a very nice spot for traditional Japanese food, if you like an intimate, calm environment. Nice sake selection too.

A small authentic Japanese restaurant with Japanese owner and chefs.Great location near Angel but never full during lunch hours. They offer great lunch sets under 13 GBP.

We were keen on sushi and decided to have lunch at Zen Mondo as we were in the area. Lovely service, good size portions, fantastic sushi!!! fish was fresh and the texture was really good. Will definitely come back. Favourite sushi place so far and will definitely come back. Salmon lovers lunch set was wonderful.

Zen Mondo is a great local Japanese restaurant. It's quite a small place but very cosy with a great atmosphere and friendly staff. All the dishes that I've tried - and that's quite a lot of them! - are exceptional, especially the Agadashi Tofu which deserves a special mention. Definitely worth a visit.

Enjoyed lunch along with their lunch special, two courses with tea. The sushi here is top notch, even if you only receive a couple of pieces for lunch, they are done extremely well, with great care. The Udon soups are always done to my liking, which is one of my favorite menu items at Zen Mondo

저녁 디너타임과 런치타임 모두 방문해봤어요. 런치스페셜도 부담없는 가격에 제대로 된 일식을 맛볼 수 있었습니다.

Service and quaility at this place is appalling. The staff members were so rude to my sister and I, they lacked knowledge and were not at all pleasant. The food very expensive and overpriced. Avoid!

The service was fine. However, the food was tasteless and it was very expensive for a bowl of cabbage soup @ 17.50 pounds. Plus a 12.5% service charge !!Not worth a visit !

I used to come to this place but never again.I walked in last time with my two children. it was early in the evening & we were about to have a quick dinner & head back home.The waitress had a horrific look on her face when she saw us at the door & said they have no tables. hoping her anti children behaviour was just in my head, I pointed one of the 3 or 4 tables that were available and said to her we won't stay for long. she went back to check (with whom?!) and said OK. a couple of minutes later my son spilled some soy sauce on the table. Oh, no- the end of the world was coming now, wasn't it?she came to the table and gave me the most embarrassing look. I asked, shall we leave? to my surprise she said yes! I have never felt so humiliated in my life. everyone were looking at us when we left. If I was a waitress, I would say- No worries, I'll clean it up. but no! Come on people, is it an adults only restaurant? is it even legal? I didn't see any sign at the door & pretty sure I have been there with my children in the past. they are not monsters.

I am a frequent user of tripadvisor and have never been disappointed up til now... This was the first time So I picked this place solely based on its tripadvisor rating. I was in the mood of sushi and made the common mistake of associating Japanese restaurants with sushi.The menu is Japanese - if has s wide selection of Japanese dishes and the sushi/sashimi choice (for lunch at least) is very limited. There is no a la carte sushi chef on site.Good news - the sushi lunch menu for £12.50 is good value. Five good pieces of nigiri with some less exciting veggie rolls. With excellent miso soup but a minusculeous salad. The sushi was one level above yoyo sushi but far below what any experienced traveled would expect. But for the price a very fair deal Now To the service ... The place is very small and it was about 60% full. When I arrived most people had already been served so getting five makis and a roll should not have been a big deal.The first sign was a lady sitting by the window who stood up and announced in a really polite way ... I've really been here for a long time time and I need to go, is there any way I can pay ... I had just arrived so I did not pay much attention at the time.About 15 minutes later when I'm still waiting ... My glass of wine and mineral water did arrive after a long delay ... A couple with a baby arrive. The waitress blocks them by the door and tells them we will close in 70 minutes ... Is this okay for them. They looked shocked, as did I... 70 minutes may be a short lunch in France but not in Islington ... Little did I know at that time....It is now more than one hour waiting for my five slices of sushi to arrive ... and when they do they look good but as earlier mentioned not anyway near to justify the rank of the restaurant. Five minutes later while I'm still enjoying it the waitress approaches me ... sir, do you want anything else because we are just about to close. Judge for yourself - someone who takes more than one hour to deliver five makis is now in a sudden rush. Clearly she "just works there" ... and observing the service to the other clientele this was the rule rather than the exception.

Sushi is something I crave in waves. I can go months, even years without and then out of the blue, if I am near the right place I will jump right in.My all time favourite is Bento Cafe in Camden, but now being an East London gal, it can be a bit of trek heading over there when I get the craving, hence me seeking other world cuisines to demolish. Picture a weekday, grim, cold and a huge come down after holidays, Summer months etc etc and you have your cosy "date night" with one of your besties. Her company certainly brightens the mood and this partnered with some surprisingly good sushi lifted both our spirits. Zen Monday is tiny, you can eat in or takeaway. Manoeuvring into your seat between the closely knit tables can be like something out of the Krypton Factor and it certainly encourages familiarity with your dining neighbours with "oops, there goes your drink on the floor", joking, but silently hoping it doesn't happen. At is an intimate and quite dark space, I didn't want to be that girl constantly taking pics with flash, so I grabbed shots of what I could. Salmon madness was on the cards for Fitore with a platter of nigiri, maki, sashimi and cod roe. I opted for the spicy tuna maki and some salmon sashimi. It was fresh with the rice served at the perfect temperature (body temp) and the fish between 4 and 6 degrees. This ensures you enjoy the taste and texture more. The salmon in particular tasted creamy to me. Zen Mondo is not cheap, because it is superior in its offering and authentic with a Japanese brigade. But as a healthy option when you searching for lunch or dinner on the upper street, this works.

Had the lunch menu, which was very reasonably priced, looked gorgeous and was delicious. Some of the pieces of sushi had quite a kick, which was unexpected. Also sampled the saki, which was interesting. They had 3 different ones that you could try. If you are in the area, highly recommended.

I found Zen Mondo by chance, walking along Upper Street looking for a pre-theatre dinner. The restaurant was nicely quiet around 5.30 pm and my partner and I opted for the set menu, which for 4 courses at £ 17.50 seemed really good value for money. Usually set menus are quite boring but Zen Mondo's was nothing but boring and, most importantly, beautifully presented. The service was very efficient and attentive.We enjoyed looking at the crockery, paintings and lampshades that, apparently, the owner create. Having travelled around Japan in recent years, we felt that Zen Mondo was very authentic japanese food with a modern twist. Delicious desserts ... apologies for having not made notes of the name of the dishes. Next time!We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I am confident to say that we will visit again!Warmly recommended

Thoroughly enjoyable, relatively untapped spot in the heart of Upper Street. I've lived near this place for 5 years and wanted to kick myself for waiting this long to go in.Sushi is excellent. I introduced my fiancée to sushi in this place (she previous tried and disliked many times). We ordered the big mondo sushi patter and some gyoza. She is now addicted to sushi and we've been back multiple times.Since then, the spicy tuna rolls and the prawn tempura are absolutely delightful, as is the tuna lover. The staff are extremely pleasant and traditional. This will be a weekly regular for us from now on. Please, stay away so there is always a seat for us :)

The food is quite simply brilliant. They write in their menus that they use the best ingredients and love food and you can tell. The salmon sashimi actually melted in ours mouths. This has only happened to us in Tomoe. The restaurant it self and menu has artwork made by the owner who is also the chef and she is obviously a very talented lady. I do have one bit of constructive feedback that is niggling at me and is the reason for me taking the time to write this review. We were rushed. If there is one thing I can not stand in a restaurant it is being rushed. We will go back regardless but we will tell them as we sit down that we like space in between each course and we like to relax when eating. Especially on a Friday evening. We spend a lot of money on food and often drink and so we are not just taking up room which needs to be refilled asap. It almost reminded me of the way couriers have become so quick and rushed that they seem to forget who the customer is and ring the doorbell once when you are upstairs but when you get to the door they are already driving off. The sake tasters were delicious too and a very good idea as you get to try three different types and receive information on each. All in all I would say it is excellent and will give it five stars as we can not fault the food - I rate food on whether I can produce the same at home, which is not what I want from a restaurant, so believe me I am very strict with this - but if when we return and ask them to take their time bringing us our courses and every waitress still tries to take away our plates when there is still food on them and we have already said no thank you, I will not be so happy about spending time there again. But I am sure they will listen as they were very polite and I can not quite honestly imagine life without that salmon sashimi or the 10 hour braised pork. The word for this review which I hope the restaurant reads is Sobremesa!

This intimate space is the perfect antidote to the likes of Tonkotsu and Ippudo which specialize in one type of ramen or only use pork in their dishes. Even for lunch for which there is a dedicated menu this place does the works. There are a good number of set menus, some with rice, some based on noodles (in a choice of two varieties), one based entirely on tempura. Whereas at Tonkotsu or Ippudo a bowl of noodles is generally your lot, here most dishes come not only with miso soup or a choice of maki roll but also complimentary tea. I chose a ramen whose base was buckwheat noodles and fish stock but which came, very unusually for a Japanese restaurant, with duck slices. It was preceded by a hand roll containing rice salad and tempura prawn. I had a bottled Kirin beer. Those at adjoining tables could be seen enjoying their choices of main. I noticed each choice was different. Service was flawless, polite and efficient.

This restaurant is Japanese owned, staffed by Japanese chefs and the food bore the fruits of this. We visited this restaurant on a Tuesday evening and got the last table in the window, overlooking the High Street. The restaurant is quite small but does have a downstairs seating area which is probably used on busier weekend evenings. The service was excellent with the very attentive staff being on call for your every need. We had a slight mixup with our order (Tuna rolls instead of Spicy Salmon) but the sushi was so good, we didn't bother to mention it. My wife had the Nabeyaki Udon (Thin Sliced Scotch Premium Beef Loin on White Noodles with Seasonal Vegetables in Fish Broth) and loved it. I was less impressed with my Tatsuta Ginankake (Deep fried Chicken marinated in Sesame & Soy with Japanese Sweet & Sour sauce), the sweet and sour sauce was just an apple sauce. In fairness, I probably just chose the wrong dish.Overall, we would definitely visit again, the whole meal with a bottle of wine was less than £70; a bargain.

Marvellous service and food. Genuine traditional service, creative food - but nothing whacky. Left feeling fantastic (went in stressed and tired).

We went yesterday evening and we tried a lot of different dishes. Complimentary salmon sashimi was served in the beginning and it was delicious! The fresh fish is simply divine and it tasted like this only in Tokyo. The slow braised pork belly in yakitori sauce is something anyone should try! Prices are ok compared to the quality (about 30£ pp, 2 dishes, 1 drink). Try also the Japanese tea with roasted rice. Service is efficient and the owner very kind. For me is the best Japanese restaurant in Angel area and Upper Street.

Zen Mondo is a Japanese restaurant located on Upper St. in the heart of Islington - close to the Angel tube station. We had dinner and ordered two first courses and two main courses. The miso soup was very good. My friend's first course arrived long after I'd finished my soup. The nigiri I ordered was excellent, and the udon soup was rich and tasty. The service, though, was very slow, polite but not very professional (we had a trainee). In many Japanese restaurants tea is served as part of the meal, here we had to pay separately. The restaurant has a basement space as well, but I wouldn't recommend it. The upstairs space is quite nice. This is a good place to have Japanese food, although the service did not justify the prices.

With boyfriend we come here one or more times a week, because simply we love it! The quality is super good, the atmosphere is small and cozy.The staff and the owners are very friendly! Recommended!!!

I came here yesterday night for my birthday meal. They were very accommodating, allowing me to book a table for 7 people only the day before, and we had such a good experience. We were seated downstairs in a very private area, which is gorgeously decorated and laid out. The waitresses were so lovely and polite, answering everyone's questions and making recommendations when we asked. The food itself is absolutely out of this world. 100% authentic, fresh, gorgeously prepared and laid out. Something that you really have to taste to believe. I believe it's one of the best Japanese restaurants in the UK. We had a combination of sushi dishes, hot pots, noodles and tempura and everything was seriously delicious, there isn't one thing I would change about the experience. All in all it's very good value, including all our drinks it only came to about £30-35 per person, and we had lots of beers, wine and sake. I can't WAIT to come back here again, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. If you love authentic Japanese food, you need to come here, like, NOW. Thank you Zen Mondo for an amazing night!

I probably come here at least once a week because I love it so much. There is a great atmosphere in the restaurant. The food is authentic and delicious. The staff are welcoming and friendly. The service is speedy and the "compliments from the chef" always go down a treat.I do not have a bad word to say about Zen Mondo. It is definitely worth a visit!

Very authentic Japanese serving delicious sushi, sashimi, hot pots and noodle dishes served with loads of love (at least that's the feel I get every time I go). They also have special dishes depending on the day.

Our first visit to the local restaurant and we now know what we've been missing. The service was pleasant and attentive and the food was outstanding. Plus a nice choice of sake.

The unpretentious decor contrast with the masterly crafted sushy. This is a place where the quality for the raw ingredients and the craftsmanship of the Itamae rule. great selection of sake too.A must visit for true sushi fan.

This restaurant lives in other times-- there is not a single vegetarian item on the menu. Most Japanese restaurants offer at least one!

Accueil agréable et courtois dans ce petit resto japonais Poisson extra frais.Sushis excellents, présentation originale et soignée.Une très bonne adresse à Londres

I reviewed this restaurant a little while ago, saying it was outstanding. While i still think it's generally very good, I reckon it deserves a very bad review for the way we got treated on Valentines Day. If you ever happen to consider it for your next Valentines, please don't, and the same applies to any day (New Years, Xmas and so on) they come up with a fixed price set menu.We booked in advance and were told they were going to have two set menus for that night, one worth £30 and one worth £40 each. I visited their website to check them out beforehand and chose the more expensive one, which we ordered once we arrived at the restaurant and were seated in their window-less, claustrophobic and ugly basement, which is usually closed and was opened for the higher affluence on that "special" night.Unfortunately though, we did not get the stuff that was on that menu - no seared salmon sashimi, no scallop, no ikura, nothing. Being 9.30pm they had probably run out of these ingredients and did not even explain nor said anything about it! Matter of fact we basically got the £30 menu, the only exception was a single piece of wagyu beef nigiri. At the end of the dinner we did not pay £30 having consumed the £30 menu, nor was there any discount. They charged us the full £40 each. Since we moved to London we have been visiting Zen Mondo at least twice a month, every month, spending approximately £100 each time and always living a tip on top of the service charge. Nonetheless we were treated very unfairly and felt we were scammed by the staff. This makes me now wonder about this restaurant in general.

is one the my favourite Japanese restaurant in angel upper street London .I love the belly pork ,I am the manager the one restaurant in the seeing street but when I a have my break I am order my belly pork fresh and very testing

Lovely little place.The serving staff and owner were all friendly enough and service was good.The food was gorgeous... we had aSashimi platter with some snowcrab sushi on special that day. The sashimi was really good... i really enjoyed the selection of fish, and scallops too! Really well done. The sushi was alright too, but the sashimi was definitely the highlight of the entrées :)Then came our mains, we had pork tonkatsu, and tempura platter. No complaints about tempura that was fine... but the tonkatsu was a tad thick and dry. Would have liked it more with rice or bento style but we did feel we have had enough carbs that meal anyway.We had room for dessert, so we had the matcha and fruit plates... these were nice too... although not thoroughly memorable. We tried a sake taster... with three lovely sake choices by the chef.Overall a nice meal, we enjoyed it after a long day's walk around london. Will revisit if we get the chance.

For amazing, mouth-watering Japanese food in a cozy, intimate setting, go for Zen Mondo! Can't recommend highly enough. We had different sushi dishes to start and then I had a delicious chicken and pork broth for my main meal and my partner had the most amazing chicken ever. It was so tasty we had to try the special snow crab sushi afterwards.

This is the second visit I've made to the restaurant and I thoroughly enjoyed it. All of the sushi is freshly prepared and the service was fantastic. We had a vegan dining with us, and the staff was very happy to create a dish that met his dietary needs. Recommended.