Good Japanese food in the middle of everything and other London, United Kingdom Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Satsuma

Satsuma is a good Japanese restaurant in the middle of Soho in London. The place does not look like a traditional Japanese place, instead it has got some influences from modern (one could say Scandinavic) design.

There are seats on two floors, and at least on the basement you may have to share the long table with somebody else. This is not a problem as the tables are big and you sit on benches.

The food is good, nothing exceptional though. The place is suprisingly inexpensive compared to other Japanese restaurants in London.

Favorite Dish: I usually prefer to eat sushi and this place didn't let me down.

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Theme: Japanese/Sushi
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 20 7437 8338
Address: 56 Wardour Street, London
Directions: In the middle of Soho, at the corner of Wardour and Old Compton streets.

Restaurant Name: Maison Malinowski

The influx of Poles has set it marks to the United Kingdom, and you can find Polish shops, cafés and other stores around the town. We visited a Polish brasserie (would have been an oxymoron a decade ago) in Covent Garden.

The small café had quite a good selection of sweet and salty pastries, all normal special coffees and good service. It was also quiet, a welcomen exception in London cafés.

The prices were good, too, considering the location near the tourist area. I didn't spot any Polish specialties, but maybe there were a few.


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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 871 4263361
Address: 63 Neal Street

Restaurant Name: Boulevard Bar and Dining Room

Old Compton Street is one of the main arteries in Soho, and appropriately filled with restaurants and cafés. We visited Boulevard Bar and Dining Room (what a monster of a name) for a quick dinner.

As any London goer knows, you really can't beat the location of Soho. It is in easy reach from everywhere and the atmosphere is just splendid, busy and still somehow relaxed. The restaurant mirrors the feeling quite nicely. The interior is modern, but not too flashy and there is some privacy, especially when the restaurant is not fully packed. Try to get a window table, so you can admire the street life while eating.

The food is okay, nothing superb but more than just eatable. The prices are reasonable considering the location. Service is fast and friendly, but fortunately not overly so.


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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 871 075 2374
Address: 55-59 Old Compton Street
Website: http://www.boulevard-dining-room.co.uk/

Restaurant Name: Burger Shack

If you are fed up with McDonald's and Burger King, but still want to taste burgers, Burger Shack might be an answer to your quest. It is a quite recent small burger restaurant chain in London. We visited their Soho restaurant and were not disappointed.

The restaurant is not very upscalish, but a huge improvement from the normal fast food joints -- no visible dirt and so forth. The service was fast if a bit blunt, and the burgers arrived soon enough to satisfy our appetite. The menu is extensive, about 20 different burgers and a host of other choices for the burgerly challenged.

The price is about double the fast food, but it is worth of it.


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Theme: American
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 20 7287 6983
Address: 14-16 Foubert's Place
Website: www.burgershack.co.uk

Restaurant Name: Kulu Kulu Sushi

Kulu Kulu Sushi is with its conveyor-belt style service is a nice exception in the London sushi scene: the prices are decent and the sushi is really tasty. As most of the pieces are laid in pairs on the plates, the place is at its best with even number of people -- or then you have to eat for two to get enough variation of tastes. There are also other stuff, such as salads and soups on the belt.

The conveyor-belt minimises the need for any human interaction -- so the place fits for geeks -- but the service was nonetheless good and very responsive.

The location is also great, just a couple blocks from Covent Garden tube station. Shelton Street is not a high street, so make sure to have a map or directions with you.


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Theme: Japanese/Sushi
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 871 0757122
Address: 51-53 Shelton Street

Restaurant Name: Costa

Costa coffeeshop on Old Compton Street looks like any other chain coffeehouse in London; a bit worn and a bit impersonal. Things change when you've grabbed the coffee and head to downstairs. The basement has a lot of comfy armchairs and a very relaxed atmosphere that can endulge you to spend hours there -- especially with a good company. The bookshelf statues that seem to grow from the wall just add to the relaxed feeling.

The service and the servings are just basic stuff, but the atmosphere...


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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 20 7734 4639
Address: 39 Old Compton Street
Website: www.costa.co.uk

Restaurant Name: Lion City

Just looking at this restaurant will make you happy. I haven't encountered other so brightly painted restaurant in the London. The location is also excellent, in the very heart of Soho and quite near to Leicester Square tube station.

The restaurant serves both lunch and dinner, with a small pause in between. The food is excellent and the service is swift. The amount of different dishes is enough to provide enough choices for pickier people, too. Surprisingly enough the pricetag is not hefty. I have eaten in less expensive Thai restaurants, but they have all been located in the edge of the city.


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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 20 7287 3305
Address: 32 Old Compton Street

Restaurant Name: Ramen Seto

Ramen Seto is a small Japanese eatery near Oxford Circus and Carnaby Street, and it has the dubious honour to be the worst restaurant that I've experienced in London -- not including some stalls in Camden Town Stables Market.

The food is sort of Japanese, but the taste is more greasy than Asian. I felt almost sick after eating it, and the bad feeling prevailed for a few hours. The restaurant is inexpensive, but I still thought being ripped off.

The joint is located on Kingly Street, a narrow alley parallel to Carnaby Street.


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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: 19 Kingly Street
Website: +44 871 332 8396

Restaurant Name: Cha Cha Moon

The surroundings of Carnaby Street are filled with designed restaurants, to allure workers from the nearby advertising agencies and media companies. Cha Cha Moon, a recently opened Asian restaurant, is no exception to the rule.

The restaurant has been open for a week when we visited it, and it showed in the level of servide. Waiter lost part of our order, so I got to eat mine before the rest arrived. Further, we had to remind them twice before they brought it.

Besides that, the restaurant was a nice experience. All portions were £3.50 that explains also the huge queue we saw when leaving the restaurant. I'm under impression that the pricing will change later, but that might or might not be the case -- better check yourself.


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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 20 7297 9800
Address: 15-21 Ganton Street

Restaurant Name: Wasabi

If you are looking for good and cheap takeaway sushi, consider visiting one of the Wasabi shops located here and there in London. They have a few shelves full of sushi that is sold in packs of one or two, depending on the size of the pieces. You select those that you like and make your own combination. They have priced the pieces by pairs, but you can buy just one with half the shown price.

The selection depends a bit of the location and the time of the day, but usually there is enough variety to enjoy a good mix of different fishes. There are also some preselected boxes for those that cannot make up their minds. Wasabi, ginger and soy sauce are picked from the counter, too.

The sushi is tasty, but of course not that fresh as in restaurants. The size of the pieces are decent.

The only thing that irks me is that the pieces are wrapped in plastic -- after eating the table or trashcan is filled with plastic scrap.


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Theme: Japanese/Sushi
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 20 7383 7772
Address: 127 Tottenham Court Road
Website: www.wasabi.co.uk